OBJECTIVES: To determine which patient-reported outcome (PRO) tools were used in studies on respiratory diseases published in 2014. METHODS: An evidence surveillance process was established based on a systematic search of PubMed, incorporating all studies published from 2010 and updated weekly, with a final search on 18 May 2015. Abstracts identified by the search that reported quality of life outcomes in respiratory disorders were identified, based on ICD-10 classifications. Articles were included if they reported results or a study protocol from a primary research study or were a systematic review. PRO tools were identified from the abstract alone, where possible. RESULTS: The search identified 1,980 articles published in 2014, 1713 of which met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 171 (10%) were in respiratory disorders. Overall, 90 different PRO or clinician-reported instruments were used across 23 diseases, with 65 articles citing more than one tool. The most commonly researched diseases were COPD (60 articles), asthma (36), allergic rhinitis or rhinosinusitis (26), obstructive sleep apnoea (8) and bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis (7 each). The St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) was the most commonly used PRO tool, in studies of COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis and emphysema (36 articles), followed by the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (13) and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life tool (10). Utilities were measured in only 3 studies, with SF-36 used twice and EQ-5D once.  The PRO used was not specified in 46 article abstracts: 20 of the 129 primary research articles, 3 of 7 study protocols and 23 of 35 systematic reviews. CONCLUSIONS: COPD and asthma were the most widely researched respiratory diseases in 2014, with the SGRQ the most widely used PRO. Utility values were rarely assessed directly, which, given the wide range of PRO tools used, provides a challenge to assessing and comparing cost-effectiveness of interventions across studies.