Tailoring health services by contextualizing the person behind patient-reported data

There is growing interest in using patient-reported data collection to improve patient outcomes. The data collected via patients’ reports are generated from the patient’s perspective, which can provide important information about aspects of their health status particularly relevant to their quality of life, including symptoms, functionality, and physical, mental and social health. However, the data collected are merely numbers that do not provide a holistic assessment of a patient’s health. To achieve the full potential of patient-reported data, clinicians would benefit from learning how to translate these data into a patient’s “health story.” My research program is pioneering a new approach for contextualizing patient-reported data with patient stories to optimize their use in practice. The results have the potential to support clinicians in better identifying and addressing evolving needs and enhance person-centred care by facilitating patient-clinician dialogue and adopting education and intervention strategies attuned to the needs of individual patients.