Psychometric evaluation of the Swallowing Outcomes After Laryngectomy (SOAL) patient‐reported outcome measure

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Swallowing Outcomes After Laryngectomy (SOAL) in a large group of people who underwent a laryngectomy. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional psychometric study of laryngectomy patients (minimum 3 months posttreatment) attending routine hospital follow‐up for the psychometric evaluation of SOAL. Results One hundred ten people participated in this study. Thirteen percent of the patients had a laryngectomy, 63% had laryngectomy with radiotherapy, and 24% had laryngectomy with chemoradiation therapy. The SOAL showed good quality of data (minimal missing data and floor effects); good internal consistency (α = 0.91); and adequate test–retest reliability (intra‐class correlation coefficient = 0.73). In terms of validity, it differentiated people by treatment group (F(2,85) = 8.02; p  = .001) and diet texture group (t(102) = −7.33; p  < .001). Conclusion The SOAL demonstrates good validity and has potential for use in research. Further study is required to determine its clinical application. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38 : E1639–E1645, 2016