Respondent Burden and Readability of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for People With Aphasia

Purpose: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for persons with aphasia (PWA) are commonly used to measure various outcomes. Persons with aphasia commonly present with language deficits that can likely increase respondent burden. Elements that contribute to respondent burden include readability, design, and formatting methods. The aims of this study were to determine how PROMs for PWA rate in level of respondent burden and on readability levels. Method: Irwin's 2012 review of PROMs for PWA was used for inclusion criteria and additional PROMs developed after 2012 were identified. This method resulted in 14 PROMs, which were rated on proposed respondent burden criteria and also underwent a readability analysis. Results: Six PROMs achieved a 7 or higher with the proposed 10-point respondent burden measure, indicating lower respondent burden. Eight PROMs met the nationally recommended reading level of sixth grade. Conclusions: Results indicated that the several PROMs available for PWA fail to minimize respondent burden.