POSAS Scar Scale
Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (two 6-item scales).
Observer scale
Rated by the clinician (1 = normal skin, 10 = worst scar).
6/60
Patient scale
Rated by the patient (1 = as normal skin, 10 = worst imaginable).
6/60
Each item is scored 1–10; the two scales are reported separately (each 6–60). POSAS also includes an overall opinion item not scored here. Education only.
POSAS Scar Assessment Scale
POSAS captures both the clinician's and the patient's view of a scar across six items each, scored 1 (normal skin) to 10 (worst scar). It is a validated, responsive tool for tracking scars and comparing treatments.
Observer and patient scales
The observer rates vascularity, pigmentation, thickness, relief, pliability and surface area; the patient rates pain, itch, colour, stiffness, thickness and irregularity. Each scale totals 6–60 and is reported separately.
POSAS vs the Vancouver Scar Scale
Unlike the clinician-only Vancouver Scar Scale, POSAS adds the patient's perspective and is generally more sensitive to change — useful in scar research and follow-up.
Education only — a clinical assessment tool, not a treatment decision in itself.