Integrating quality of life instruments into clinical care for benign gynecological conditions to enhance patient-centered care

The quality-of-life (QoL) impacts of benign gynecological conditions, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and uterine fibroids on patients' lives are underestimated. Upon analysis of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36), which assesses physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role emotional, and mental health, benign gynecological conditions reveal comparable or worse QoL scores compared to QoL scores in other chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus, breast cancer, and heart disease. The current medical care models focus majorly on physical symptoms and can sometimes fail to capture the full impact of these diseases on patients' livelihood and well-being. The objective of this perspective paper was to analyze the utility of QoL-related PROMs in obtaining a holistic understanding of the impact of benign gynecological conditions on patients' lives. QoL-related patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can be integrated into clinical practice with the goal of delivering comprehensive, patient-centered care for these diseases. The inclusion of QoL-related PROMs can help characterize a patient's physical baseline, track improvement or worsening of symptoms throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic course (pre and post intervention. The inclusion of PROMs in patient care settings can facilitate efficient communication between patients and providers for a clinical interaction that is more holistic and patient centered.