Specific patient-reported outcome measures for Parkinson's disease: analysis and applications.

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are defined as the "patient's report of a health condition and its treatment". This type of assessment encompasses symptoms, functional status, psychological well-being, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and other aspects. PROs are increasingly used in clinical practice and research, owing to the uniqueness of the data they furnish. The methodology used to design and test PRO instruments is drawn from psychology, social sciences and education. The present review focuses on PROs (since 2000) and HRQoL instruments specific to Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a complex disease that causes motor and nonmotor manifestations, many of which can only be assessed through PRO measures. New PRO instruments and active research to improve their scientific quality are to be expected in the next 5 years.