Development of the Digital PROMs platform used in LOCOMOTION

New publication authored by members of the LOCOMOTION team details the development of a Long COVID specific digital Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PROM) platform. This system is used in the LOCOMOTION study to collect PROM data that is used in multiple workstreams within the study, but it is primarily being utilised to validate the Modified C19-YRS (C19-YRSm), a Long COVID-specific PROM.

Sivan M, Rocha Lawrence R, O'Brien P.
Digital Patient Reported Outcome Measures Platform for Post–COVID-19 Condition and Other Long-Term Conditions: User-Centered Development and Technical Description.
JMIR Hum Factors 2023;10:e48632. doi: 10.2196/48632

The publication outlines the features of the platform and how it was developed with the input of clinicians and people with Long COVID, ensuring that it met user needs and the requirements of service providers and commissioners.

It also details the research version of the clinical portal on the platform. This is the system which is used in the LOCOMOTION study to access pseudonymized participant data which is then analysed to generate the study findings. It has also been utilised for a national evaluation of Long COVID services, that was conducted by members of the LOCOMOTION team.

The publication also depicts some examples of the graphs and diagrams that are automatically generated on the platform displaying PROM data. One of which are radar plots, which display the severity of symptoms and functional disability using data collected in the C19-YRSm.

A sample of user quotes are included in the publication which highlight the user-friendly nature of the platform and its capacity to significantly reduce administrative burden. This is noted as one of the key benefits of digital PROM systems.