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Contact Persons - Health Outcome Research Unit
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Bernhard Holzner
E-Mail: bernhard.holzner@i-med.ac.at
Assoz.-Prof. Dr. Johannes M. Giesinger
E-Mail: johannes.giesinger@i-med.ac.at
Team members
- Nathalie Egeter, MSc
- Dr. Samuel Eke
- Annalena Endres, BSc
- Veronika Engele, MSc
- Jannick Flicker, BSc
- Priv.-Doz.in Dr.in Eva-Maria Gamper
- Franziska Gross, MSc
- Franziska Helmberg, BSc
- Joshua Hohenegg
- Niklas Hubel, MSc
- Krepper Daniela, PhD
- Jens Lehmann, PhD
- Lucy Neumann, MSc
- Priv.-Doz.in Dr.in Anne Oberguggenberger
- Micha Pilz, MPH
- Ines Rathgeber, MA, MSc
- Priv.-Doz. Dr. David Riedl
- Maria Rothmund, PhD
- Claudia Seidl, MSc
- Nicole Shostak, BSc
- Lisa Storz, MSc
- Monika Sztankay, PhD
- Maike Thumfart, MSc
- Anna Thurner, MSc
- Chiara Vetrano, MSc
- Lisa Wintner, PhD, BA
Forschungsschwerpunkt
Die Health Outcomes Research Unit (HORU) ist auf die klinische Evaluation von chronischen Erkrankungen und deren Behandlung spezialisiert und konzentriert sich dabei insbesondere darauf, wie sich Patient:innen während des Erkrankungs- und Behandlungsverlaufs fühlen, welche Belastungen sie erleben, und wie sie damit zurechtkommen. Indem wir die Perspektive der Patient:innen in den Mittelpunkt stellen, wollen wir die Kluft zwischen klinischer Forschung und den Erfahrungen im Alltag überbrücken. Im Mittelpunkt dieser Mission steht die Bewertung von Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) - direkte Berichte von Patient:innen über ihre Symptome, Lebensqualität und Alltagsfunktionen, die nicht von Ärzt:innen oder Dritten interpretiert werden.
Da die Einbeziehung der Patientenstimme in der modernen Medizin immer wichtiger wird, haben sich PROs zu entscheidenden Endpunkten in klinischen Studien entwickelt. Sie bieten einen umfassenden Überblick über die somatischen und psychosozialen Auswirkungen neuer Therapien - eine Entwicklung, die sich in den aktuellen Empfehlungen der US-amerikanischen Food and Drug Administration (FDA) und der Europäischen Arzneimittelagentur (EMA) widerspiegelt. Über die Arzneimittelzulassung und regulatorische Standards hinaus spielen PROs eine transformative Rolle in der personalisierten Medizin. Durch die Nutzung dieser Erkenntnisse in der klinischen Routinepraxis können Gesundheitsdienstleister fundiertere, individuellere Therapieentscheidungen treffen und die Behandlungswege der Patient:innen effektiver steuern.
HORU fördert die Einbindung patientenzentrierter Daten in die klinische Forschung und die Routineversorgung, wobei der Schwerpunkt neben anderen chronischen Erkrankungen vor allem auf der Onkologie liegt. Unsere Arbeit deckt das gesamte Forschungsspektrum ab, von der Klärung grundlegender methodischer Fragen über die Entwicklung elektronischer PRO-Instrumente (ePRO) bis hin zur Untersuchung der weiterreichenden Auswirkungen dieser Instrumente auf die Gesundheitsforschung. Durch diesen vielschichtigen Ansatz stellen wir sicher, dass die Patientenerfahrung im Mittelpunkt medizinischer Innovationen und klinischer Exzellenz steht.
Research Focus
The Health Outcomes Research Unit (HORU) specializes in Clinical Outcome Assessment, focusing specifically on how patients feel, function, and survive throughout the course of chronic illness. By prioritizing the patient perspective, we seek to bridge the gap between clinical research and real-world experience. Central to this mission is the assessment of Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs)—direct reports from patients regarding their symptoms, quality of life, and daily functioning that remain uninterpreted by clinicians or third parties.
As the integration of the patient voice becomes essential to modern medicine, PROs have emerged as vital endpoints in clinical trials. They provide a comprehensive view of the somatic and psychosocial effects of new therapies, a shift reflected in current recommendations from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Beyond drug approval and regulatory standards, PROs play a transformative role in personalized medicine. By utilizing these insights within routine clinical practice, providers can make more informed, individualized therapy decisions and more effectively guide patient treatment pathways.
HORU facilitates the integration of patient-centered data into clinical research and routine care, with a primary focus on oncology, next to other chronic diseases. Our work spans the full research spectrum—from addressing fundamental methodological questions and developing electronic PRO (ePRO) instruments to exploring their broader impact within healthcare research. Through this multi-faceted approach, we ensure the patient's experience remains at the heart of medical innovation and clinical excellence.
What are we currently working on?
The HORU is working on multiple projects aiming for the increased application of PRO data in clinical care and research. Main areas of work are:
PRO Research Methods and Implementation
Contact persons: Monika Sztankay, PhD and Lisa Wintner, PhD
PRO research on methods and implementation focuses on developing validated tools and processes for accurately capturing patient experiences and integrating these data into clinical practice. Implementation science addresses barriers and facilitators in routine care, aiming to improve symptom detection, patient engagement, and ultimately clinical outcomes through systematic PRO use in oncology. Further information can be found here: https://prospective.i-med.ac.at/
Health utility research
Contact person: Priv.-Doz. Dr. Eva-Maria Gamper
Health utility research quantifies patient preferences for different health states, converting quality of life into numerical values to inform cost-effectiveness and decision-making. This research supports evaluations of cancer treatments by estimating the value patients associate with survival and quality of life outcomes, guiding resource allocation in clinical and health policy contexts.
Psycho-oncology
Contact person: Priv.-Doz. Dr. Anne Oberguggenberger
Psycho-oncological research investigates the psychological, social, and emotional aspects of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Research addresses distress, coping mechanisms, and mental health interventions to improve quality of life. This field informs supportive care strategies to help patients and families navigate cancer's emotional burden, enhancing holistic treatment and patient well-being.
Electronic PRO assessment:
Contact person: Jens Lehmann, PhD
Electronic assessment of PROs employs digital platforms like apps and web portals to collect patient-reported data remotely or in clinics. It enhances real-time symptom monitoring, data accuracy, and patient convenience. Current research explores optimizing digital usability, integration with electronic health records, and overcoming barriers such as digital literacy for widespread clinical adoption.
Selected publications from 2026
- Prognostic value for overall survival of the EORTC QLQ-C30 Summary Score: An analysis of 5 closed EORTC trials.
Scheepens JCC, Lim L, Musoro JZ, Aaronson NK, Dirven L, Baumert BG, Bjelic-Radisic V, Bolla M, Coens C, Galinsky J, van der Graaf WTA, Husson O, Kyriakou C, O'Brien M, Rammant E, Turhal NS, Petersen MA, Grønvold M, Taphoorn MJB, Koekkoek JAF, Giesinger JM. Eur J Cancer. 2026 Jun 18;241:116774. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2026.116774. PMID: 42096931. - A mixed methods study on patients' and healthcare professionals' understanding of the graphical presentation of patient-reported outcome data at an inpatient unit for psychosomatic medicine.
Thurner AMM, Egeter J, Gross F, Loth FLCL, Schurr T, Holzner B, Sperner-Unterweger B, Hüfner K, Giesinger JM. J Patient Rep Outcomes. 2026 Apr 11;10(1):82. doi: 10.1186/s41687-026-01061-w. PMID: 41965477. PMCID: PMC13194904. - The EORTC updated breast cancer quality of life questionnaire EORTC QLQ-BR42: A psychometric study with Spanish patients.
Arraras JI, Illarramendi JJ, Manterola A, Giesinger JM, de la Cruz S, Teijeira L, Pont A, Bjelic-Radisic V, Salgado E, Lecumberri MJ, Fernandez de Lascoiti A, Vera R. BMC Cancer. 2026 Mar 14. doi: 10.1186/s12885-026-15831-8. Online ahead of print. PMID: 41832463 - Assessment of multimodal inpatient treatment in psychosomatic medicine using patient reported outcomes: A naturalistic and longitudinal data analysis.
Abdoli M, Lehmann J, Giesinger JM, Rothmund M, Egeter J, Cotrufo P, Holzner B, Hüfner K. J Affect Disord. 2026 Mar 12:121613. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.121613. Online ahead of print. PMID: 41831493 - The impact of transitional care on geriatric rehabilitation outcomes: prevalence and associated factors of sarcopenia and malnutrition.
Vetrano C, Ritter E, Wahrstätter T, Adamer EM, Riedl P, Prüfer F, Matko Š, Riedl D, Fischer MJ, Grote V, Strasser B. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2026 Mar 11. doi: 10.1007/s40520-026-03341-3. Online ahead of print. PMID: 41811554 - Assessing the assessment: a scoping review of the mode of patient-reported outcome assessment in solid cancer clinical trials.
Hubel N, Krepper D, van der Weijst L, Machingura A, Seidl C, Vorbach SM, Veil M, Giesinger JM, Sztankay M, Kern S, Fitzsimmons D, Kuliś D, Pe M, Holzner B, Lehmann J; EORTC Quality of Life Group. Qual Life Res. 2026 Mar 1;35(4):80. doi: 10.1007/s11136-026-04179-y. PMID: 41764668 - Comorbidity, treatment toxicity and satisfaction with cancer care: an international cross-sectional study based on the EORTC PATSAT-C33 and OUT-PATSAT7.
Brédart A, Kop JL, Shamieh O, Fox L, Alrjowb W, Conroy T, Turhal NS, Arraras IJ, Bultijnck R, Harle A, Hemelrijck MV, Pinto E, Roth E, Ioannidis G, Costantini A, Chalk T, Young T, Rohde G, Ishiki H, Kikawa Y, Schmidt H, Vassiliou V, Shayler S, Marchal F, Lehmann J. Support Care Cancer. 2026 Feb 13;34(3):198. doi: 10.1007/s00520-026-10433-3. PMID: 41686257 - Unraveling assumptions about clinical relevance in patient-reported outcome data : A qualitative study on perspectives of different interest groups.
Rathgeber IS, Krepper D, Wintner LM, Giesinger JM, Sztankay M. Support Care Cancer. 2026 Feb 2;34(2):155. doi: 10.1007/s00520-026-10387-6. PMID: 41627518 - Inter-rater reliability of CTCAE assessments with or without EORTC patient-reported outcome data in a mixed cancer population: a multinational, open-label, randomised controlled trial.
Wintner LM, Sztankay M, Abdel-Razeq H, Hamdan-Mansour R, Caocci G, Mouillet G, Kikawa Y, Shibata N, Krishnamurthy MN, Joshi A, Krishnatry R, Jain A, Pappot H, Petranović D, Trobentar A, Schmidt H, Schulze S, Tararykova A, Zabernigg A, Giesinger JM, Holzner B; EORTC Quality of Life Group. Lancet Oncol. 2026 Feb;27(2):233-242. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(25)00679-5. Epub 2026 Jan 19. PMID: 41570841 - Assessing quality of life in individuals with hereditary cancer risk: Results from phases 1-3a of the EORTC QLQ-HCR30 questionnaire.
Engele VI, Vassiliou V, Wheelwright S, Sztankay M, Puglisi C, Pogoda K, van Leeuwaarde R, Bleiker E, Abdel-Razeq H, Fox L, Lanceley A, Dabakuyo S, Bjelic-Radisic V, Nordin A, Ioannidis G, Kulís D, Brédart A, Schwaninger G, Arraras JI, Holzner B, Oberguggenberger AS; EORTC Quality of Life Group. Eur J Cancer. 2026 Feb 25;235:116226. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2026.116226. Epub 2026 Jan 9. PMID: 41544363 - Defining thresholds for meaningful interpretation of patient-reported outcome scores.
Cocks K, Giesinger JM. Curr Opin Support Palliat Care. 2026 Mar 1;20(1):18-23. doi: 10.1097/SPC.0000000000000788. Epub 2026 Jan 27. PMID: 41504459 - Supportive cancer care and patient satisfaction: international prospective longitudinal study - secondary data analysis.
Brédart A, Kop JL, Shamieh O, Fox L, Alrjoub W, Conroy T, Turhal NS, Arraras JI, Bultijnck R, Harle A, Van Hemelrijck M, Pinto E, Roth E, Ioannidis G, Costantini A, Chalk T, Young T, Rohde G, Ishiki H, Kikawa Y, Schmidt H, Vassiliou V, Shayler S, Marchal F, Lehmann J; EORTC Quality of Life Group. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2026 Jan 7:spcare-2025-006024. doi: 10.1136/spcare-2025-006024. Online ahead of print.
What are we currently working on?
