THE SWALLOWING DISORDER SCALE (SDS) AS A NEW POLISH-LANGUAGE QUESTIONNAIRE IN OTOLARYNGOLOGY-PHONIATRIC PRACTICE

Introduction Assessment of swallowing function raises several multidisciplinary issues. In otolaryngology and phoniatrics practice, dysphagia often coexists with other laryngeal dysfunctions. The condition is often trivialised due to mild symptoms and the dominance of other dysfunctions. However, patient discomfort calls for screening and accurate diagnostic tools to determine the risk of further adverse effects. The aim of this study was to show the basic psychometric values of a new Swallowing Disorder Scale (SDS) questionnaire. Material and methods The study included 208 patients with functional voice disorders coexisting with dysphagia who attended a specialist for audiological-phoniatric consultations between 2021 and 2023. The diagnostic procedure included an interview, otolaryngological-phoniatric examination, functional endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, and surface electromyography of selected head and neck muscles. In addition, patients completed five Polish-language swallowing assessment questionnaires: the Visual Analogue Scale, the Dysphagia Handicap Index (DHI), the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10), the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), and the authors’ new Swallowing Disorder Scale (SDS). Results Results for the following instruments are reported: VAS, EAT-10, DHI, RSI, and SDS. The basic psychometric values of the SDS questionnaire was determined on a sample of 87 patients (56 females and 31 males). The results of the SDS questionnaire correlated significantly with the severity of dysphagia as rated by DSRS+ (<i>r</i> = 0.61; p < 0.01) and with SRS (<i>r</i> = –0.74, <i>p</i> < 0.01). No significant relationship was found between SDS questions 1–3 and the severity of dysphagia. Significant relationships were found for questions 4–6 of SDS (<i>r</i> = 0.68, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and 7–10 (<i>r</i> = 0.77, p < 0.01). Weak negative correlations with the SRS scale were observed also for the sum of SDS questions 1–3 (<i>r</i> = –0.37, p < 0.05). Conclusions The article has reviewed five Polish-language questionnaires and assessed their clinical value in diagnosing swallowing disorders. The review clearly demonstrates the need for tools to differentiate and make a preliminarily assessment of functional dysphagia. The SDS questionnaire appears to be a satisfactory tool for screening and differentiating patients with functional dysphagia. The SDS questionnaire allows the severity of swallowing disorders to be assessed.