The ACNE‐Q

Acne is a common skin condition that affects many adolescents and adults. This study, from Canada and the USA, aimed to create a patient‐reported outcome measure (i.e., questionnaire) called the ACNE‐Q. Patient‐reported outcome measures have many uses, for example they can be used before and after a treatment to assess any improvement in a patient's symptoms, or their quality of care. The ACNE‐Q measures outcomes that matter to people with acne. To develop the ACNE‐Q, the authors interviewed 21 people with acne and acne scars to identify their concerns. From this information, the authors drafted seven scales that measure appearance (of facial, chest and back acne, acne scars and facial skin), symptoms and appearance‐related distress. The scales were shown to 10 patients and 16 experts to make sure they were easy to understand and covered the issues that matter the most to patients. The authors then tested the ACNE‐Q in a sample of 256 patients with acne and/or acne scars. The research team found that the seven scales worked well (were reliable and valid). The ACNE‐Q can now be used in research to measure change in appearance, symptoms and distress following treatment for acne and/or acne scars. The ACNE‐Q can also be used by healthcare providers with their patients to identify concerns, and in shared decision‐making.