The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) to collect and maintain reliable, precise measures of patient–reported health status for physical, mental, and social well–being. PROMIS instruments measure concepts such as pain, fatigue, physical function, depression, anxiety and social function. NIH began the PROMIS initiative in 2004, and it has now a strong body of research to validate the measures.
PROMIS has constructed several item banks (a collection of questions measuring the same thing that can be administered in short forms or adaptively through computerized adaptive testing). Short forms require 4–10 items; computerized adaptive testing require 3–7 items for more precise scores. PROMIS measures are available for both children and adults. PROMIS pediatric self-report instruments are available for children ages 8-17 and parent proxy reports are available for children ages 5-17.
Translations of the instruments are available in Spanish, with translations being completed in other languages, including Chinese.
Ignatius Bau 