Background
The symptom burden experienced by people with cancer is considerable. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) assessment of symptoms and functioning is increasingly used as a strategy to improve symptom management. However, there is limited evidence regarding the optimal approach and implementation of electronic PRO (ePRO) systems. When ePRO systems are well-integrated into the electronic health record (EHR), information can be accessed by clinicians with the potential to conveniently coordinate responses such as referrals and prescriptions. However, the adoption of ePRO systems is still in its infancy. Many ePRO systems do not interface seamlessly with the EHR, and do not offer evidence-based guidance, nor integrate appropriate responses into clinical workflows.