“Advancing Equity through PROs”

Submission Deadline: 31 December 2026

The Editors of the Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes (JPRO) are planning a special issue that will explore how patient-reported outcomes (PROs) can be leveraged to advance health equity, amplify underrepresented voices, and drive inclusive practices in research and clinical care.

We invite manuscripts that investigate how socio-systemic factors—such as racism, classism, ableism, and disparities linked to health-related social needs—influence the development, application, and interpretation of PROs. Submissions that move beyond documenting disparities to demonstrate how equity-focused PRO science can inform interventions, transform health systems, and better represent historically marginalized populations are especially encouraged.

Of particular interest are studies employing intersectional, multilevel frameworks to examine how overlapping forms of discrimination shape PROM development, PRO collection, and their use across healthcare contexts. We also encourage studies that examine measurement invariance, item bias, and item fairness, ensuring PROMs function equitably across diverse groups. Submissions that apply advanced analytical techniques (e.g., qualitative situational analysis, multilevel modelling, latent class analysis, structural equation modelling) and community-partnered approaches that position patients and communities as active collaborators will be given priority.

“PROs in Clinical Registries”

Submission Deadline: 31 December 2026

The Editors of the Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes (JPRO) are planning a special issue that will showcase research on the implementation of PRO tools in registries, the role of PROs in value-based care, enhancing patient engagement through PROs, and data analytics and PROs in clinical research.

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have emerged as a vital component in clinical registries, offering direct insights from patients regarding their health status, treatment effects, and quality of life. These measures deepen understanding of patient experiences and preferences, enabling healthcare providers and researchers to tailor interventions to specific populations. Registries that incorporate PROs can enhance data collection, improve patient engagement, and support more informed clinical decision-making. As patient-centered care gains prominence, integrating PROs into registries has become increasingly essential.

The importance of PROs in clinical registries is amplified by recent advancements in data collection methodologies, analytics, and engagement strategies. This integration enriches data quality and elevates the relevance of clinical research by placing the patient’s voice at the forefront. In the era of value-based care, PROs are critical for evaluating treatment effectiveness, improving satisfaction, and informing policy and practice. As healthcare systems prioritize outcomes that matter to patients, the role of PROs will continue to expand.

“Methodological and Developmental Challenges in Pediatric Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement”

Submission Deadline: 19 July 2027

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are increasingly central to clinical research, healthcare delivery, regulatory decision-making, and quality assessment. Yet applying PRO methodology in pediatric populations raises distinctive conceptual, developmental, psychometric, and implementation challenges that remain incompletely addressed in the broader PRO literature.

These challenges arise because pediatric PRO measurement must account for rapid developmental change, evolving cognitive and linguistic capacities, changing social contexts, and the roles of parents and other caregivers both as proxies reporting on children’s health, functioning, and well-being and as observers reporting signs and behaviors. These complexities affect every stage of PRO science, from construct definition and item development to response scaling, longitudinal interpretation, and clinical implementation. Emerging digital health platforms and remote-monitoring approaches further amplify the need for developmentally appropriate and psychometrically rigorous methods.

The Editors of the Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes (JPRO) are planning a special issue that seeks to advance research and dialogue concerning unresolved methodological debates, innovative approaches, and practical challenges in pediatric PRO science. It will provide a forum for conceptual, empirical, methodological, and translational scholarship with implications for future research, clinical practice, and policy.

“Patient experience data in regulatory and health technology assessment”

Submission Deadline: 30 June 2027

The Editors of Quality of Life Research are planning a special issue titled “Patient experience data in regulatory and health technology assessment.”

Globally, regulatory and health technology assessment (HTA) bodies recognise the importance of hearing from patients when products are being developed and evaluated. Patient-reported outcomes and other clinical outcome assessments are increasingly included in submissions to these bodies. Additionally, recent regulatory guidance also discusses the collection of patient preference information. This broader conceptualisation can be termed ‘patient experience data’ (PED). Despite this recognition, patient experience data are inconsistently included and evaluated by decision-makers. Understanding how different interest-holders approach this is essential for ensuring that patients’ voices drive healthcare decisions to ultimately improve patient outcomes and health-related quality of life.

This article collection encourages submissions that consider the assessment of patient experience, such as preference, symptoms, and health-related quality of life, to inform regulatory and HTA submissions and decisions. Submissions of original research, reviews and discussion and/or response papers addressing recent regulatory and HTA developments in the field are encouraged. Other potential topics for manuscripts may include the application of artificial intelligence and digital health technology in PED research.