Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO)
Any report of a patient's health status that comes directly from the patient, without interpretation by a clinician. Includes pain scales, quality of life measures, and symptom diaries.
In Depth
PROs are particularly important in cannabis research because many of the conditions treated (pain, anxiety, sleep, quality of life) are inherently subjective. Validated PRO instruments used in cannabis trials include the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, the GAD-7 for anxiety, the PSQI for sleep, and the SF-36 for quality of life. The FDA increasingly requires PRO endpoints in clinical trials for conditions where patient experience is the primary treatment goal.
Related Terms
More in Research Methods
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
The gold standard study design in clinical research. Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups to minimize bias and establish causation.
Systematic Review
A structured synthesis of all available evidence on a specific research question, using predefined criteria to identify, evaluate, and summarize studies.
Meta-Analysis
A statistical technique that combines quantitative data from multiple studies to produce a pooled estimate of effect size with greater statistical power than any individual study.
Placebo-Controlled
A study design in which the control group receives an inert substance (placebo) identical in appearance to the active treatment, to account for the placebo effect.
Observational Study
A study in which researchers observe participants without intervening. Includes cohort studies, case-control studies, and cross-sectional surveys.