Patient-reported outcome measures in an outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy program– a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the influence of our local Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) program on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) using Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs). Design Prospective cohort study. Setting A public tertiary care hospital in Switzerland. Participants Patients enrolled in the University Hospital Zurich’s OPAT program between October 2020 and September 2022. They were interviewed pre-discharge and 7-14 days post-dis using a shortened, four-domain-version of the validated Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, complemented by four additional questions gauging patient satisfaction. Main outcome measures The primary outcomes were the scores in four domains of the SF-36 questionnaire. Results Thirty-three patients participated in the study. Univariate analysis revealed substantial improvement in three of the four SF-36 domains. Specifically, participants reported enhanced role emotional (p=0.038), social functioning (p=0.003) and emotional well-being (p=0.003). Furthermore, 97% of patients would recommend OPAT to others. Conclusion OPAT significantly impacts HRQoL and yields high patient satisfaction. Hospitals considering new OPAT programs should include both patient satisfaction and HRQoL impact in their argument repertoire for the introduction of OPAT.