Patient-reported outcome measures in the recovery of adults hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia: a systematic review

Abstract

Symptomatic and functional recovery are important patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) that are increasingly used as trial end-points. This systematic review summarises the literature on PROMs in CAP. Comprehensive searches in accordance with the PRISMA statement were conducted to March 2017. Eligible studies included adults discharged from hospital following confirmed CAP and reporting PROMs. 15 studies (n=5644 patients) were included; most were of moderate quality. Studies used a wide range of PROMs and assessment tools. At 4–6 weeks post-discharge, the commonest symptom reported was fatigue (45.0–72.6% of patients, three studies), followed by cough (35.3–69.7%) and dyspnoea (34.2–67.1%); corresponding values from studies restricted by age <65 years (two studies) were lower: fatigue 12.1–25.7%, cough 19.9–31.9% and dyspnoea 16.8–27.5%. Functional impairment 4 weeks post-discharge was reported in 18–51% of patients (two studies), while median time to return to normal activities was between 15 and 28 days (three studies). Substantial morbidity is reported by patients up to 6 weeks post-discharge. There is weak methodological consistency across existing studies. A core set of PROMs for use in future studies is suggested.

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