"Dissemination and Integration of PRO Data into Clinical Care"

"How can the quality of life research community best support clinicians and patients who seek meaningful PRO data for shared medical decision-making and patient advocacy?" is the question that will be considered in the final plenary of the meeting. Each year masses of data are reported about treatments, but often the information is difficult for clinicians and patients to understand and use for decision-making. The session will consider challenges to improving understanding of information needs of patients and clinicians and how these needs might be better met. A patient advocate, a clinician, and a clinician-QOL researcher will consider how to help clinicians and patients can gain more from PRO data for treatment planning. Andrea Pusic will serve as moderator for the panel discussion. Invited speakers include

• Professor Dale Vidal (Director, Center for Informed Choice at Dartmouth Medical Center) who will discuss shared medical decision-making and evidence-based practice.
• Dr. Michael Brundage (radiation oncologist and PRO researcher) who will share his projects for improving clinician and patient understanding of QOL outcomes from clinical trials.
• Mr. Richard Stephens, (patient advocate and patient representative to the Macmillian Cancer Support clinical advisory board) who will provide the patient perspective drawn from his own experience as a cancer and heart patient and that of other patients regarding information available to patients and what information patients need and want about their treatments.