Validity and reliability of the Protocol for Functional Evaluation of Swallowing by Nasal Endoscopy

Purpose: to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Protocol for Functional Evaluation of Swallowing by Nasal Endoscopy as a multidisciplinary assessment tool for dysphagia. Methods: a protocol including six items related to structural and functional aspects of the pharyngeal phase with an instrumental study conducted in two phases. In the first phase, content validity was assessed using the Content Validity Index (CVI), based on the judgment of seven dysphagia experts. In the second phase, the instrument's reliability was analyzed through a pilot test applied to 120 patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal dysphagia, calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item-total correlations. Results: the protocol demonstrated adequate content validity, with item CVI values greater than 0.78 and an overall CVI of 0.94. Internal consistency was good (α = 0.86), with item-total correlations greater than 0.65 (p < 0.001). The sample consisted primarily of patients with neurological dysphagia (64.2%), predominantly due to stroke sequelae, and with moderate severity (73.3%). Pharyngeal residue (71.7%) was the most frequent finding in the functional assessment. Conclusion: the Protocol for Functional Evaluation of Swallowing by Nasal Endoscopy demonstrated adequate content validity and reliability. It allows for a structured clinical evaluation, contributing to the detection of functional alterations and to therapeutic decision-making.