The importance of patient-reported outcomes in aesthetic skeletal facial surgery


Key points

• Patient-reported outcome instruments (PROIs) are questionnaires that measure concepts by asking patients directly, without clinician interpretation, and should be used to measure procedural outcomes.

• The FACE-Q is a new validated, reliable, and responsive PROI.

• There are four FACE-Q domains: appearance appraisal, quality of life, process of care, and adverse effects.

• The Face Q link is www.qportfolio.org .

• PROIs can be completed preoperatively, postoperatively, and at all follow-up points, which is important when examining and comparing outcomes pre-and postoperatively, but also to follow outcomes over time.

• Review of PRO data allows surgeons to see where and among which groups they are achieving surgical success and conversely where and among which groups they are not.

• This information is invaluable in that it allows surgeons to set realistic expectations for new patients based on prior outcomes demonstrated among similar patients.

• PRO data enhances physician-patient communication and transparency in the all-important presurgical consultation.

• Utilizing PROIs, surgeons can collect adverse event outcome data from the patient perspective to explain risks, complications, and recovery to each patient so that he or she can make an informed decision regarding surgery.

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