Comment on revalidating swallowing assessments

Area of Science:

• Speech-language pathology
• Clinical assessment tool revalidation
• Swallowing disorders

Background:

• A recent article by González-Fernández et al. (2011) reported on the revalidation of a common swallowing assessment tool.
• This letter to the editor raises critical points not fully addressed in the original publication.

Discussion:

• Concerns are raised regarding the use of retrospective data in the revalidation process.
• The impact of missing data on the statistical analyses performed was not adequately discussed.
• The failure to replicate the assessment's scoring system in the revalidation poses a significant limitation.

Key Insights:

• Retrospective data use in revalidation requires careful consideration due to potential biases.
• The handling of missing data can significantly influence the reliability and validity of assessment tool revalidation.
• Consistent replication of scoring systems is fundamental for ensuring the dependability of assessment tools.

Outlook:

• These issues are critical for the readership of the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology (AJSLP).
• Addressing these points will aid in the accurate interpretation of current assessment tools.
• This critique will inform the development of more robust and reliable future swallowing assessment tools.