ABSTRACT
Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) are reports coming directly from patients without interpretation from an outside evaluator such as a physician or research assistant, and are central in the evaluation of clinical treatment effectiveness. Due to advances in computer technology and the advantages of electronic PRO assessment, the use of electronic or ePRO methods are increasingly common in behavioural and medical sciences. Collecting PRO data invokes unique measurement processes and the US Food and Drug Agency (FDA) released guidance on the appropriate development, use, and evaluation of PRO instruments. Understanding recall is important because PRO data are almost always based on autobiographical memory, and, are therefore vulnerable to biases and inaccuracies inherent in human memory processes. Field-based collection of PRO data broadly falls under the umbrella of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) - a set of methods and design principles for collection of data closer to real time in patients' natural real-world environments.
