LYMPROM© and LYMPREM©

Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs)

Lymphoedema Wales Clinical Network (LWCN) values what matters most to patients. Patients are the expert in their condition and are best placed to tell us how it affects them. The LYMPROM^© (Lymphoedema-specific Patient Reported Outcome Measure) was developed to help adults with lymphoedema communicate their impact of lymphoedema. The information recorded by patients on LYMPROM^© is explored during appointments and used by clinicians to support the right care at the right time for the individual patient. LYMPROM^© can also help patients and staff together decide the focus treatment and to monitor progress. This is helping LWCN to provide a value-based service, this will mean patients can expect a lymphoedema service that focuses on what matters most to patients.

Work to review the Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) used in the Children and Young People aged 17 or younger is planned. More recently, LWCN and the National Cellulitis Improvement Programme (NCIP) have developed a cellulitis-specific Patient Reported Outcome Measure (CELLUPROM©), which is helping clinicians deliver bespoke care and to evidence the impact of the service for patients who had an episode of cellulitis (skin infection).

Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs)

PROMs are just one part of improving care in LWCN. To understand the experiences of adults attending these services, adults under the care of LWCN and the NCIP can also complete a patient experience measure: LYMPREM© (for lymphoedema) and CELLUPREM© (for cellulitis). These are different to PROMs and are called Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs). Patients who complete PREMs are helping us understand their experiences which is helping us promote quality care and services.

Since 2020, LWCN has worked with the Welsh Value in Health Centre and Digital Health and Care Wales to optimise collection and reporting of PROMs and PREMs data. Using digital platforms (online services), lymphoedema services in the Health Boards across Wales are able to send patients PROMs and PREMs for patients to complete on a digital device at a time and place that suits them. As this work continues to roll out, LWCN are well placed to ensure Value-Based Healthcare remains are its core and that the service is responsive to the needs of our patients.