POSAS Patient flow
Introduction
The POSAS aims to measure scar quality metrics, including pigmentation, pliability, thickness, and similarity to adjacent skin architecture. It is also unique in that it combines the patient’s viewpoint of the wound with the observer’s assessment [1]. This calculation scores the patient's viewpoint.
The POSAS Patient Scale contains six items that are scored numerically on a ten-step scale (1-10). Together they make up the ‘Total Score’ of the Patient Scale. Moreover, the patient can also score their ‘Overall Opinion’ but this does not count towards the 'Total Score'.
More information: https://www.posas.org/
The POSAS Patient flow contains the POSAS Patient questionnaire and associated calculation. After form submission, the POSAS Patient calculation is executed automatically. It's easy to extend this flow with conditional logic based on the interpretation of the POSAS Patient calculation.
POSAS Patient questionnaire
Overview of the questionnaire
Overview of the six items/questions that are needed for calculating the total score:
- Has the scar been painful the past few weeks?
- Has the scar been itching the past few weeks?
- Is the scar color different from the color of your normal skin at present?
- Is the stiffness of the scar different from your normal skin at present?
- Is the thickness of the scar different from your normal skin at present?
- Is the scar more irregular than your normal skin at present?
There is one additional question which doesn't need to be taken into account for calculating the total score: "what is your overall opinion of the scar compared to normal skin?".
References
[1] Draaijers LJ, Tempelman FR, Botman YA, Tuinebreijer WE, Middelkoop E, Kreis RW, van Zuijlen PP. The patient and observer scar assessment scale: a reliable and feasible tool for scar evaluation. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004 Jun;113(7):1960-5; discussion 1966-7. doi: 10.1097/01.prs.0000122207.28773.56. PMID: 15253184.
