The Comparative Study of Dysphagia Screening Tests

Abstract

Objective:　In this research, two types (comprehensive evaluation methods and single evaluation methods) of dysphagia screening test were compared effectiveness to confirm more appropriate as the screening test.

Methods:　Video recordings were made of 3 patients with dysphagia who underwent single evaluation methods (RSST and MWST) or comprehensive evaluation methods (SSA and TOR-BSST) in dysphagia screening tests. These recordings were then used to create a teaching video movie, which was shown to 65 speech therapists with clinical experience (mean years of experience, 5.2±3.6 years); these therapists were then administered a questionnaire. This questionnaire consisted of 10 items, which covered the following aspects of the dysphagia screening tests: simplicity of the tests, confirmation or inference of the site of dysphagia, their safety, severity evaluation, determination of the food types, determination of their usefulness for assessment of swallowing training, evaluation of the effect of swallowing training, evaluation of the changes in swallowing functions over a period of time, ability to diagnose dysphagia, and usefulness of the tests. A 5-point scale was used to answer each question, and the subjective evaluations of the practitioners who used the 4 tests were analyzed. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for analysis of the results and a value less than 5% was considered to be significant.

Results:　As a result of questionnaire survey, it has become apparent that comprehensive evaluation methods were more appropriate than single evaluation methods as dysphagia screening tests.

Conclusion:　The result of this study suggested that effectiveness of comprehensive evaluation methods in dysphagia screening test. It might be contribute for the dysphasic patients to introduce the comprehensive evaluation methods in Japan.