Psychometric Performance of the Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale and SCAR-Q Questionnaire in Dutch Children after Pediatric Surgery

Chantal A. Ten Kate, Hilde J. H. Koese, M. Jenda Hop, André B. Rietman, René M. H. Wijnen, Marijn J. Vermeulen and Claudia M. G. Keyzer-Dekker ()
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Chantal A. Ten Kate: Department of Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care Children, Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Hilde J. H. Koese: Department of Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care Children, Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
M. Jenda Hop: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 CD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
André B. Rietman: Department of Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care Children, Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
René M. H. Wijnen: Department of Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care Children, Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Marijn J. Vermeulen: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital, 3015 CD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Claudia M. G. Keyzer-Dekker: Department of Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care Children, Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CD Rotterdam, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 21, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Introduction: The growing population of survivors following pediatric surgery emphasizes the importance of long-term follow-up. The impact of surgical scars on daily life can be evaluated through patient-reported outcome measurements. The Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale (SBSES) and SCAR-Q questionnaire are two interesting instruments for this purpose. We evaluated their psychometric performance in Dutch children after pediatric surgery. Methods: After English–Dutch translation, we evaluated—following the COSMIN guidelines—the feasibility, reliability (internal and external), and validity (construct, criterion, and convergent) of the SBSES and SCAR-Q in Dutch patients < 18 years old with surgical scars. Results: Three independent observers completed the SB for 100 children (58% boys, median age 7.3 (IQR 2.5–12.1) years) in whom surgery had been performed a median of 2.8 (0.5–7.9) years ago. Forty-six of these children (61% boys, median age 12.1 (9.3–16.2) years) completed the SCAR-Q. Feasibility and internal reliability (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.7) was good for both instruments. For the SB, external reliability was poor to moderate (interobserver variability: ICC 0.46–0.56; intraobserver variability: ICC 0.74). For the SCAR-Q, external reliability was good (test–retest agreement: ICC 0.79–0.93). Validity tests (construct, criterion, and convergent) showed poor to moderate results for both instruments. Conclusions: The Dutch-translated SBSES and SCAR-Q showed good feasibility and internal reliability. External reliability and validity were likely affected by differences in conceptual content between the questionnaires. Combining them would provide insight in the impact of scars on patients. Implementation of these instruments in longitudinal follow-up programs could provide new insights into the long-term psychological outcome after pediatric surgery.

Keywords: patient-reported outcome measures; psychometrics; postoperative; scars; surveys and questionnaires (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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