Construction of the index system for screening and assessment of dysphagia in Chinese elderly people based on Delphi method

Background Dysphagia is an important factor affecting aspiration pneumonia in the elderly, which will greatly increase the risk of poor prognosis and even death. Early detection, diagnosis and effective prevention are the key to improve the prognosis of patients. However, there is currently no systematic tool for screening and evaluating swallowing disorders in the elderly. Objective This study aimed to establish an index system for the screening and evaluation of dysphagia in the elderly, and to provide evidence for the screening and evaluation of dysphagia in the community and clinic. Methods The draft of the index system was determined based on the combination of literature review and clinical practice. The Delphi method was applied to conduct expert correspondence consultation, and the index system for screening and evaluation of dysphagia in the elderly was established. The weight of each index was determined by analytic hierarchy process. Results A total of 19 experts in related fields were consulted for 3 rounds. The questionnaire recovery rates were 94.7%, 100% and 100%, respectively. 17 (89.5%), 14 (73.7%) and 5 (26.3%) experts put forward modification opinions, respectively. The expert authority coefficient was 0.920, and the Kendall harmony coefficient was 0.219, 0.261 and 0.306, respectively, with statistical significance (P < 0.001). Finally, the index system for the screening and evaluation of dysphagia in the elderly includes 3 first-level indicators, 10 second-level indicators and 26 third-level indicators. Conclusion The experts in this study are highly motivated and authoritative, and the established index system for the screening and evaluation of dysphagia in the elderly is scientific, reasonable and targeted, which can provide reference for the screening and evaluation of dysphagia in the community and clinical elderly patients.