TY - JOUR
T1 - Reliability of scar assessments performed with an integrated skin testing device - The DermaLab Combo®
AU - Gankande, Uliya
AU - Duke, Janine
AU - Danielsen, Patricia
AU - Dejong, Helen
AU - Wood, Fiona
AU - Wallace, Hilary
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved. Background: The DermaLab Combo1 is a device with potential to make objective measurements of key scar components - pigmentation, vascularity, pliability and thickness. This study assessed the inter-rater and test-retest reliability of these measurements. Method: Three raters performed scar assessments on thirty patients with burn scars using the DermaLab Combo®. Measurements of pigmentation, vascularity, pliability and thickness were made and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were derived for inter-rater and test-retest reliability. Results: Inter-rater reliability was found to be "excellent" in the 'best' and 'worst' areas of the index scar and normal skin for pigmentation (ICC: 0.94-0.98) and thickness (ICC: 0.86-0.96). Test-retest reliability was also "excellent" for pigmentation (ICC: 0.87-0.89) and thickness (ICC: 0.92-0.97) in all areas. Vascularity showed "good" to "excellent" inter-rater reliability (ICC: 0.66-0.84) in all areas however test-retest reliability was "low" (ICC: 0.29-0.42). Test-retest reliability was "excellent" for pliability (ICC: 0.76-0.91). Technical limitations were encountered making measurements in some scars for thickness, and in particular, pliability. Conclusion: The DermaLab Combo® measured pigmentation, thickness and pliability with "excellent" reliability. If future studies provide protocols to improve test-retest reliability of vascularity measurements and obtain pliability measurements more successfully, the DermaLab Combo1 will be valuable device for scar assessment.
AB - © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved. Background: The DermaLab Combo1 is a device with potential to make objective measurements of key scar components - pigmentation, vascularity, pliability and thickness. This study assessed the inter-rater and test-retest reliability of these measurements. Method: Three raters performed scar assessments on thirty patients with burn scars using the DermaLab Combo®. Measurements of pigmentation, vascularity, pliability and thickness were made and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were derived for inter-rater and test-retest reliability. Results: Inter-rater reliability was found to be "excellent" in the 'best' and 'worst' areas of the index scar and normal skin for pigmentation (ICC: 0.94-0.98) and thickness (ICC: 0.86-0.96). Test-retest reliability was also "excellent" for pigmentation (ICC: 0.87-0.89) and thickness (ICC: 0.92-0.97) in all areas. Vascularity showed "good" to "excellent" inter-rater reliability (ICC: 0.66-0.84) in all areas however test-retest reliability was "low" (ICC: 0.29-0.42). Test-retest reliability was "excellent" for pliability (ICC: 0.76-0.91). Technical limitations were encountered making measurements in some scars for thickness, and in particular, pliability. Conclusion: The DermaLab Combo® measured pigmentation, thickness and pliability with "excellent" reliability. If future studies provide protocols to improve test-retest reliability of vascularity measurements and obtain pliability measurements more successfully, the DermaLab Combo1 will be valuable device for scar assessment.
U2 - 10.1016/j.burns.2014.01.025
DO - 10.1016/j.burns.2014.01.025
M3 - Article
C2 - 24630817
SN - 0305-4179
VL - 40
SP - 1521
EP - 1529
JO - Burns
JF - Burns
IS - 8
ER -