Review: Seven HS PROMs Meet COSMIN Standards for Clinical Use
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Seven HS-specific PROMs met Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) standards for content validity and measurement properties.
HiSQOL-17 showed the strongest internal consistency and construct validity.
Authors noted the review highlighted ongoing gaps in validation, including measurement error and unidimensionality.
A new systematic review and meta-analysis found seven clinically useful tools for capturing and analyzing hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)–specific patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
The review, which included 26 studies and 5,811 total patients with HS (median age range, 25 to 46.9 years), applied the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) framework to assess the development rigor and psychometric strength of 15 HS-specific PROMs.
Among the 15 tools, 14 demonstrated sufficient content validity, and eight adhered to the highest standards of development methodology. The 17-item Hidradenitis Suppurativa Quality of Life (HiSQOL-17) instrument showed strong psychometric performance, with high internal consistency (pooled Cronbach α = 0.94; I² = 81.3%) and construct validity (pooled Pearson r = 0.84; I² = 74%; pooled Spearman r = 0.88; I² = 29%). The authors reported that most PROMs lacked sufficient evidence for unidimensionality, limiting their evaluative use. Of the seven PROMs that met COSMIN criteria, two demonstrated adequate internal consistency, while five others were classified as formative instruments. Test-retest reliability was found sufficient in nine PROMs, and responsiveness met COSMIN thresholds in five PROMs. No included studies reported measurement error.
"Results of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that 7 PROMs met COSMIN criteria for recommendation; further psychometric validation is warranted to inform recommendations for their clinical and research use,” the authors wrote.
Source: Tarafdar N, et al. JAMA Dermatology. 2026. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.5644