Patient reported-outcome measures of quality of life as a communication tool for primary care providers serving caregivers of adults with cancer

Caregivers are the family members, friends and sometimes neighbors who provide an intricate array of care to an adult with cancer. According to the literature, significant demands are placed on caregivers that can diminish their QOL. The aim of this project is to examine the communication of quality of life (QOL) between primary care providers (PCPs) such as a family nurse practitioner and patients who serve as caregivers to adults with cancer. As barriers common to the primary care setting can impede caregivers voicing their concerns, it is proposed that by improving patient-provider communication, PCPs will gain greater awareness of compromised QOL and thus will be better able to offer support. Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) are standardized measures that report subjective experiences such as QOL. This capstone project seeks to answer the question: Can nurse practitioners, as primary care providers, use Patient-Reported Outcome Measures as a tool to improve patient provider communication regarding health-related quality of life for caregivers to adults with cancer living in British Columbia? To answer the research question, an integrative literature review was conducted whereby evidence to support the use of PROMs as a tool to enhance patient-provider communication in the primary care setting was found.