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Everything You Need to Know About PROMS in SurgicalPerformance

PROMS (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures) in SurgicalPerformance now supports multiple, targeted surveys. As new validated instruments (e.g. procedure‑specific tools like the APFQ) are released, PROMS will continue to expand and evolve.

Ana Ronyut avatar
Written by Ana Ronyut
Updated this week

How PROMS Works Now

  • PROMS delivers specific surveys at scheduled timepoints tailored to the patient’s procedure and recovery stage.

  • These include:

    • PROMIS (for generic recovery domains like pain, fatigue, function)

    • Patient Satisfaction Survey (NPS‑style, single question)

    • PGI-I (a simple, validated question asking patients to rate how much their condition has improved since surgery)

    • Procedure-specific PROMs (e.g. APFQ for pelvic floor, AHQ for hernia)

  • Over time, even more validated surveys will be added to cover other surgical procedures.

Who PROMS Applies To

All users of SurgicalPerformance across all specialities and procedure types can turn their preferred PROMS surveys on or off. You can decide which surveys you'd like to send for each patient based on their procedure.

Availability by Region

  • Currently, PROMS is only available to SurgicalPerformance users in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

  • Due to healthcare regulations and data privacy laws, we are adding countries gradually to ensure compliance with telecommunications laws in each region. We are actively working towards making this feature available in more countries and will update our users as new ones are approved.

  • If you're located outside of Australia, New Zealand or the USA and are interested in using PROMS, please contact our support team to register your interest and we will advise you if your region becomes supported.

How to Use PROMS

  1. Add or Edit a Case
    ​     When creating or editing a surgical case, enable the PROMS feature and select which surveys are appropriate (e.g. general + procedure-specific).

  2. Schedule Surveys
    ​    PROMS will automatically schedule surveys at pre-determined timepoints. You can also opt in or out of follow-up surveys per case.

  3. Auto-Delivery to Patients
    ​    Surveys are sent via SMS with a secure link, to the patient's mobile number, at the scheduled timepoints.

  4. View & Manage Surveys

    In the PROMS section of a case record, you’ll see which surveys are scheduled, their status, and any completed results.

Current PROMS Surveys Available

SurgicalPerformance now supports a growing library of PROMS surveys, each validated and designed to suit specific surgical areas or insights.

Here are the surveys currently available:

  • Patient Satisfaction Survey
    ​     → Learn more about the Patient Satisfaction Survey
    Captures patient sentiment with a single question on their likelihood to recommend you.
    ​

  • PROMIS (General Recovery Questionnaire)
    ​     → Learn more about PROMIS
    Tracks general post-op recovery indicators like fatigue, pain interference, and function.
    ​

  • Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I)
    ​    → Learn more about the PGI-I
    A simple, one-question tool that asks patients to rate how much their condition has improved since surgery.
    ​

  • Abdominal Hernia Questionnaire (AHQ)
    ​     → Learn more about the AHQ
    Designed specifically for abdominal wall and inguinal hernia repairs.
    ​

  • Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire (APFQ)
    ​     → Learn more about the APFQ
    Measures outcomes across prolapse, urinary and bowel function, and sexual health following pelvic floor procedures.

How Patients See It

  • Patients receive an SMS message on their smartphone device at each scheduled interval containing a link to the relevant survey(s).

  • The surveys are mobile- and web-friendly and designed to be quick and user-friendly.

  • When patients complete them, responses are securely stored and linked to the corresponding surgical case.

To help you choose the most appropriate survey(s) for each patient case, SurgicalPerformance includes a “View Example” button next to every PROMS option. This will show you the pre-set, validated questions which the patient will receive.

Interpreting & Viewing Results

  • Dashboard & Case View — Results appear in your SurgicalPerformance dashboard, and within each patient's case record.

  • PROMIS Results — Displayed as T-scores (mean = 50, SD = 10) to benchmark against population norms.

  • Patient Satisfaction Score — The 0–10 scale is categorised into Detractors, Passives, and Promoters.

  • PROMS Indicators — Colour-coded markers (e.g. green, amber, red) and status icons help you see at a glance which cases or domains may require attention.

Notifications — In the PROMS tab, you can add additional email addresses to receive PROMS notifications and choose which types of survey results you’d like to be alerted about. This is ideal for sharing updates with support staff or colleagues who assist with follow-ups.

Benefits for Surgeons & Patients

For Surgeons:

  • Gain targeted, validated feedback across general recovery, satisfaction, and procedure-specific outcomes

  • Make the surgeon aware that a patient may appreciate a phone call

  • Enhance audit, benchmarking, and quality improvement

  • Better understand long-term outcomes and patient experience

  • Support CPD and reflective practice with real patient‑reported data

For Patients:

  • Give voice to their recovery and satisfaction

  • Strengthen engagement with their surgeon’s care

  • Help inform future patients through aggregated outcomes

Growth & Future Direction

SurgicalPerformance will continue to expand the catalogue of validated patient-reported PROMS tools. As new surgical areas and outcome domains emerge, expect new surveys to become available. Your feedback is welcome as we evolve.

Accessing PROMS Through the Free Trial

When you sign up for the free trial of SurgicalPerformance, you’ll get full access to both INSIGHTS and PROMS for up to 10 cases across any module or specialty.

  • There is a 90-day limit on the trial and no payment details required to get started.

  • You can test the full functionality of adding cases, sending PROMS surveys (depending on your region), and reviewing patient-reported outcomes.

After entering 10 cases, you’ll be prompted to upgrade to a premium subscription to continue using all features without restrictions.

To continue using PROMS after the trial:

  • Choose the Premium plan

  • Enter your payment details

  • Enjoy unlimited access to PROMS depending on your region

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I disable PROMS per case?

    • Yes, you can choose which surveys to include (or exclude) when setting up or editing a case.

  • Can I change the schedule for surveys?

    • No. Each particular survey has a standard schedule that was set by the developer of the survey. Having a set schedule for each different survey ensures that you are reliably comparing your patients results against aggregated, anonymised data from other surgeons without worrying that the comparison is invalid because of different response time frames.

  • What if a patient does not complete a survey?

    • That’s okay, the survey is optional. You may follow up directly, but lack of completion does not affect clinical care.

  • Does PROMS replace clinical follow-up?

    • No. PROMS complements, but does not replace clinical consultations.

  • Is patient data secure?

    • Yes. All responses are encrypted, securely stored, and can only be accessed by you (the treating surgeon).

Watch a Video about the PROMIS Survey here:

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