ABSTRACT
This study validated an app-based developmental and speech language screening (SRESHT screener) conducted by Grass Roots Workers (GRWs) among children below six years of age in a rural community in the state of Tamil Nadu (the field). Method: The study was carried out in two phases, first the training of GRWs and then the validation of the screening conducted by them using the app. For the training, suitable materials were developed, and the GRW's knowledge and skills were evaluated pre- and post-training. Two closed-ended questionnaires were used to evaluate the GRWs' knowledge about the screening tools. The Observed Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) method was used to evaluate their skill. All the participants were selected by convenience sampling and were screened independently by both a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) and a GRW using the application. Cohen's kappa and percent agreement were used to determine agreement in screening results between the SLP and GRWs. Results: All the GRWs scored at least 75 % and above in both the knowledge and skill assessments conducted post-training. "Substantial agreement" on kappa-based extent of agreement and "almost perfect" agreement on percent agreement were obtained between GRWs and SLP for the app-based screening. Conclusion: The findings of this study imply that the app-based developmental and speech language screening performed in the community by GRWs is valid.
ABSTRACT
Aims: This study aimed to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Tamil version of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10). Setting & Study Design: Prospective cross-sectional study on persons with Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) during their follow-up for oncological and swallowing consultation at a tertiary care hospital and healthy individuals recruited from the community. Methods: The study was conducted in two phases: (1) translation and development of the Tamil version of EAT-10 and (2) administration of Tamil EAT-10 to assess internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability and known-group validity. 92 participants with HNC in the clinical group and 149 healthy adults in the control group completed the Tamil EAT-10. In addition, a subgroup of 20 participants with HNC repeated the questionnaire within a week to assess test-retest reliability. Results: The Cronbach alpha for the 10 items was 0.96 indicating high internal consistency reliability. The test-retest reliability of the individual items and the total scores (r = 0.98) of the Tamil version of EAT-10 were high. The total EAT-10 scores for the HNC group (14.4 ± 11.5) were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than the scores for healthy adults (0.72 ± 2.0). Conclusion: The Tamil version of the EAT-10 developed in this study is a reliable and valid self-administered tool for identifying concerns related to swallowing among persons treated for HNC and healthy adults. This tool can be implemented for clinical practice and research in dysphagia among a Tamil-speaking population. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-022-03376-8.
