The following is a summary of the “Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Chronic Neuropathic Pain Clinical Trials – A Systematic Literature Review,” published in the January 2023 issue of Pain management by Sachau, et al.

Focusing on pain severity, neuropathic pain clinical studies sometimes neglect the patient’s perspective. Heterogeneous patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) impede outcome assessment comparability. MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, and meta-analysis reference lists were searched. Drug effectiveness trials for persistent neuropathic pain were included. PROMs were assigned to suggested IMMPACT/NeuPSIG domains: pain intensity, pain other features, physical functioning, emotional functioning, global improvement and satisfaction, adverse events, and participant disposition. 

Domains and PROMs were compared by study year and methodological quality. IMMPACT/NeuPSIG endorsed 27 of the 200 PROMs utilized in 251 research. High/moderate-quality research has more domains. For example, high-quality and post-2011 research assessed “physical functioning,” “global improvement and satisfaction,” and “neuropathic pain quality” more often. Newer and higher-quality research used the approved PROMs.

Notwithstanding PROM improvements, neuropathy evaluation is still heterogeneous. Improve neuropathic pain treatment and clinical trial comparability by defining a core set of outcome domains. This comprehensive review examines PROMs in chronic neuropathic pain. The results reveal that heterogeneity remains considerable, underscoring the need for a standardized core set of outcome domains and PROMs to improve clinical trial comparability and neuropathic pain therapy.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1526590022003935