Development of an Instrument to Assess Swallowing Function in Patients with Stroke

Objective To develop a new instrument to assess swallowing function which will be suitable for nurses to screen dysphagia in the patients with stroke.MethodsItems closely related to symptoms and signs of dysphagia were found with literature review, forming a preliminary instrument. All items retrieved were selected and modified by experts interview and a pilot study in patients with stroke. Then, a clinical nursing swallowing assessment tool (CNSAT) was formulated.ResultsTotally, seven items of symptoms and signs related to dysphagia in patients with stroke were found with literature review. All the seven items retrieved were selected again by experts interview and finally a CNSAT was formed with six modified items by a pilot study in 10 patients with stroke, each item with four choice based on its severity of their symptoms and signs.ConclusionCNSAT is a simple, convenient and safe instrument and suitable for nurses to assess swallowing function of patients with stroke.