New Skin Quality Index Aims to Align Patient–Provider Communication in Aesthetics

Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, announced the launch of the Skin Quality Index (SQI), a new framework designed to standardize how patients and health care providers discuss skin quality during aesthetic consultations. The initiative is supported by global research published in Dermatologic Surgery that examined how terminology related to skin quality is used across aesthetic medicine and patient populations.

According to the research, patients tend to use relatively consistent language when describing their skin concerns among themselves, but terminology often differs when they communicate with health care providers. This disconnect may create barriers during consultations and treatment planning. The SQI aims to address this gap by introducing a unified vocabulary consisting of 15 consensus terms and definitions organized across four core dimensions of skin health.

The framework is intended to facilitate clearer dialogue between patients and clinicians, potentially helping providers better understand patient goals and enabling more informed treatment planning. The SQI may also help patients develop a more structured understanding of their skin quality, allowing them to participate more actively in discussions about their care.

“The Skin Quality Index is a groundbreaking innovation that represents a paradigm shift in how we approach patient consultations and treatment planning in aesthetics,” said Shannon Humphrey, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and primary investigator of the study. “By providing a shared language, the Skin Quality Index empowers patients to articulate their concerns more effectively and enables physicians to better understand and address those concerns.”

The research supporting the SQI followed a 3-phase methodology. Investigators first analyzed more than 900 aesthetic medicine publications spanning over 2 decades. US advisory boards of health care providers then established consensus terminology, followed by patient focus groups and surveys involving more than 200 aesthetic providers and more than 1,000 patients to evaluate how skin quality terminology is used in real-world conversations.