Scar Assessment Scales
Michelle E. Carrière, Annekatrien L. van de Kar, Paul P. M. van Zuijlen
Abstract
Abstract Over the last decades, many scar assessment scales have been developed, not only to evaluate the effectiveness of new and existing treatments in the research setting but also to monitor scars in individual patients. Clinician-reported scar scales allow for the evaluation of observable aspects of the scar, while patient-reported scar scales enable the evaluation of additional health domains that cannot be observed by clinicians, such as scar symptoms or sensations and quality of life. The quality of scar assessment scales is determined by several measurement properties (i.e., validity, reliability, and responsiveness). This chapter provides an overview of the content and development of the most frequently used scar assessment scales.