Finnish Version of the Eating Assessment Tool (F-EAT-10): A Valid and Reliable Patient-reported Outcome Measure for Dysphagia Evaluation.
Pia Järvenpää, Jonna Kuuskoski, Petra Pietarinen and 13 others
PMID 34518933WHAT IT FOUND
The Finnish EAT-10 is a reliable, 30-second screening tool for dysphagia.
A score of 3 or more flags likely swallowing problems. It correlates well with clinical severity ratings, though it is a weaker predictor of specific aspiration events on endoscopy.
Key findings
01The Finnish EAT-10 showed excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability across controls and patients.
02A score of 3 or higher was identified as the clinical cut-off for abnormal swallowing, with high sensitivity and specificity in the control group.
03Scores correlated moderately with clinical severity ratings (DOSS) and significantly with water swallow test failures, but correlations with specific endoscopic findings (PAS) were weak.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study population was predominantly from one university hospital, limiting generalizability. FEES was performed by 12 different clinicians, which may introduce variability in the reference standard. The tool showed weak correlations with specific endoscopic findings of penetration and aspiration, limiting its utility as a standalone predictor of these events. Test-retest reliability in FEES patients was lower than in controls, possibly due to symptom fluctuation or the effects of instructions given after the initial FEES. The operative patient group was small (n=19), reducing the power to detect changes in that cohort.
Declared interests
Funded by Helsingin ja Uudenmaan Sairaanhoitopiiri, the Finnish Association of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, and the University of Helsinki.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use the F-EAT-10 alone to rule out aspiration or determine swallowing safety. While it effectively screens for the presence and severity of dysphagia symptoms, its correlation with specific endoscopic findings like aspiration was weak, so it cannot replace instrumental assessment for safety decisions.