title: Scoring of Hand Eczema: Good Reliability of Hand Eczema Extent Score (HEES).
abstract: There is good agreement between dermatological staff and patients using the Hand Eczema Extent Score (HEES). The aim of this study was to assess inter- and intra-observer reliability of the HEES in dermatologists and intra-observer reliability of the HEES in patients with hand eczema. Six dermatologists assessed 18 patients twice. Only the hands of the patients were visible to the assessors. Patients performed a self-assessment twice. Inter- and intra-observer reliability was tested with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The mean HEES score for all dermatologists' assessments was 21.0 (range 3.6-46.3). The corresponding mean scores for all patients' own assessments were 24.9 (range 4.0-54.0). Inter-observer reliability in the dermatologists' observations ICC classification was very good, median value 0.82 (range 0.56-0.92). The overall intra-observer reliability for the 6 dermatologists' ICC classification was very good (range 0.88-0.94). Intra-observer reliability in the patients' 2 self-assessments ICC classification was very good (ICC 0.95). In conclusion, HEES is a reliable tool for both dermatologists and patients to grade the extent of hand eczema.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Institute of Clinical Research in Malmö, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. annica.m.carlsson@skane.se, annica.carlsson@telia.com.
authors: Annica
authors: A
authors: Carlsson
authors: Åke
authors: Å
authors: Svensson
authors: Chris D
authors: CD
authors: Anderson
authors: Irina
authors: I
authors: Baranovskaya
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Hindsén-Stenström
authors: Ingebjörg
authors: I
authors: Holt
authors: Birgitta
authors: B
authors: Meding
authors: Berndt
authors: B
authors: Stenberg
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Stenlund
authors: Agneta
authors: A
authors: Gånemo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003880:Dermatology; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D004485:Eczema / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index