We included 106 DSS-patients. Twelve weeks after wound healing, patients and caregivers rated the DSS in vivo using the POSAS, comprising seven items. They were unaware of each other's judgment. Inter-observer reliability (IOR) was expressed as intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). Items of the POSAS that best predicted patients¡¯ overall satisfaction were identified using multivariable regression analysis.
Eleven caregivers from different medical centers judged the DSSs. IOR for the POSAS items was ¡®moderate¡¯ at best regarding the item ¡®overall opinion¡¯ (ICC 0.44; 95 % confidence interval 0.27-0.58). IORs regarding other POSAS-items were ¡®poor¡¯. Itching and relief best predicted patients¡¯ overall satisfaction (total variance explained, R2 = 0.174). For caregivers, pigmentation and pliability were most predictive (R2 = 0.318).
Patients and caregivers appreciate different aspects of scar characteristics using the POSAS. This calls for shared decision-making, in which patient opinions are incorporated in the treatment choice.