title: Patient-reported symptoms and quality of life integrated into clinical cancer care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide an overview of research and practice related to patient-reported symptom and quality-of-life assessment integrated into clinical care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature retrieved through the PUBMED and CINAHL databases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessing and incorporating patient preferences, engaging the patient in self-report, and extending the interaction to the place and time favored by the patient are necessary to bring meaning to the term "patient-centered." There is beginning evidence that these approaches can make a difference, improving care quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oncology nurses no longer need to be constrained by paper symptom checklists. Patient-reported symptom and quality-of-life information can be electronically collected and simultaneously made available for home and clinical use through the utilization of Web-based programs.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston,MA 02215, USA. donna_berry@dfci.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Donna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Berry
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011788:Quality of Life; D012650:Self Disclosure