Towards a clinical and empirical definition of burn scarring: A template analysis using qualitative data

Objective: This study aimed to describe the nature, scope or meaning of the concept 'burn scar', from the perspective of adults and children with burn scarring, caregivers of children with burn scarring and health professionals who were considered experts in the treatment of burn scarring. The impact of the identified characteristics on burn scar health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was also examined. Method: Using a phenomenological qualitative approach, 43 transcripts from semi-structured interviews with people with burn scars (n=10 adults and n=11 children), their caregivers (n=9) and health professionals (n=13) were analyzed using template analysis. Results: Ten characteristics of burn scars were identified by health professionals: 'stretchability', 'hardness', 'raised', 'thickness', 'surface area', 'scar sensitivity', 'scar surface appearance', 'hydration', 'fragility', and 'color'. However, 'thickness', 'scar surface area' and 'hydration' were not described by children with burn scars and 'scar surface area' was not described by adults with burn scars or caregivers. All groups (adults, children, caregivers and health professional) perceived that the burn scar characteristics of 'stretchability' and 'scar sensitivity' impacted upon all indicators of burn scar HRQOL. The burn scar characteristics of 'fragility', 'scar surface appearance' and 'color' were largely perceived by all groups to impact upon the emotional and physical indicators of burn scar HRQOL alone. Conclusions: This study identified there are differences in the burn scar characteristics considered important by health professionals and those characteristics that adult/child/caregivers perceived to impact on indicators of burn scar HRQOL. It is recommended that outcome measures of burn scarring include the burn scar characteristics of 'stretchability' and 'scar sensitivity' at a minimum. The inclusion of 'fragility', 'scar surface appearance' and 'color' should also be considered. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd.