title: Measuring elderly dysphagic patients' performance in eating--a review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This review aims to identify psychometrically robust assessment tools suitable for measuring elderly dysphagic patients' performance in eating for use in clinical practice and research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic databases, related citations and references were searched to identify assessment tools integrating the complexity of the eating process. Papers were selected according to criteria defined a priori. Data were extracted regarding characteristics of the assessment tools and the evidence of reliability, validity and responsiveness. Quality appraisal was undertaken using developed criteria concerning the study design, the statistics used for the psychometric evaluation and the reported values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight of fourteen identified assessment tools met the inclusion criteria. Three assessment tools were specific to dementia, two were specific to stroke and three targeted a range of neurological and geriatric conditions. The rigor of the assessment tools' psychometric properties varied from no evidence available to excellent evidence. Only two assessment tools were rated adequate to excellent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  'The Minimal Eating Observation Form-Version II' to be used for screening and 'The McGill Ingestive Skills Assessment' to be used for treatment planning and monitoring appeared to be psychometrically robust for clinical practice and research. However, further research on their psychometric properties is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy 53P1, Herlev Hospital, Herlev Ringvej 75, 2730 Herlev, Denmark. ergotp.tina@gmail.com
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kjaersgaard
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Faber
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004435:Eating; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires