Validation of the Patient-Oriented SCORing for Atopic Dermatitis tool for black skin

Background SCORing for Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) is a tool developed by the European Task Force on Atopic Dermatitis (AD) which is used by physicians to assess AD severity during consultations with their patients. Patient-Oriented SCORAD (PO-SCORAD) is a self-assessment tool for use by patients which has been validated in a study performed in European countries. However, there is currently no adapted tool for evaluating AD severity in black skin. Objective To evaluate the performance of the version of the PO-SCORAD specifically adapted for black skin patients (children and adults) with AD. Methods In this multicenter, cross-sectional and non-interventional study, children and adults with AD were recruited during regular consultations. This international study was performed in seven sub-Saharan countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Mali and Senegal). During the consultation, AD severity was assessed by the physician using SCORAD score and by the patients or parents using PO-SCORAD. Results One hundred and thirteen patients were included, 72 children and 41 adults, mainly females (61.6%). SCORAD assessed by physicians and PO-SCORAD assessed by patients/parents were well correlated (r = 0.66, P < 0.0001). Correlation coefficients for SCORAD and PO-SCORAD subscale scores were also good, except for symptom intensity criteria. Conclusion Altogether, these data indicate that PO-SCORAD for black skin correlates well with SCORAD and is therefore a valuable tool, which requires no specific level of education, for use by black skin patients with AD.