Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have the potential to transform healthcare by enabling better decision-making for patients and clinicians, and by allowing comparisons of providers' performance to improve services. PROMs measure patients' views on their symptoms, functional status, and health-related quality of life, distinguishing them from patient-reported experience measures (PREMs), which focus on the humanity of care. PROMs were initially developed for research but are now used in clinical practice and to assess healthcare providers. They are used in two main types: disease-specific and generic. Disease-specific PROMs are tailored to specific conditions, while generic PROMs consider general aspects of health. PROMs are reliable, similar to clinical measures like blood pressure or blood glucose. In England, PROMs are used in elective surgery, with mandatory audits for certain procedures. They help monitor patient conditions, assist in clinical decision-making, and assess provider performance. PROMs also support research on treatment effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analysis. Despite progress, challenges remain, including minimizing costs, achieving high patient participation, attributing outcomes to care quality, and avoiding misuse of PROMs data. There is a need to combine initiatives for clinical management and provider comparisons, encourage new data collection technologies, and address methodological challenges. PROMs can help develop value-based care, where healthcare is driven by health outcomes per pound spent. However, the impact of PROMs on clinical practice and service quality still needs to be established. The use of PROMs in provider comparisons is still in its early stages, and more research is needed to evaluate their effectiveness. The future of PROMs lies in their integration into routine healthcare, with a focus on improving quality and patient outcomes.Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have the potential to transform healthcare by enabling better decision-making for patients and clinicians, and by allowing comparisons of providers' performance to improve services. PROMs measure patients' views on their symptoms, functional status, and health-related quality of life, distinguishing them from patient-reported experience measures (PREMs), which focus on the humanity of care. PROMs were initially developed for research but are now used in clinical practice and to assess healthcare providers. They are used in two main types: disease-specific and generic. Disease-specific PROMs are tailored to specific conditions, while generic PROMs consider general aspects of health. PROMs are reliable, similar to clinical measures like blood pressure or blood glucose. In England, PROMs are used in elective surgery, with mandatory audits for certain procedures. They help monitor patient conditions, assist in clinical decision-making, and assess provider performance. PROMs also support research on treatment effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analysis. Despite progress, challenges remain, including minimizing costs, achieving high patient participation, attributing outcomes to care quality, and avoiding misuse of PROMs data. There is a need to combine initiatives for clinical management and provider comparisons, encourage new data collection technologies, and address methodological challenges. PROMs can help develop value-based care, where healthcare is driven by health outcomes per pound spent. However, the impact of PROMs on clinical practice and service quality still needs to be established. The use of PROMs in provider comparisons is still in its early stages, and more research is needed to evaluate their effectiveness. The future of PROMs lies in their integration into routine healthcare, with a focus on improving quality and patient outcomes.