Research Design

The purpose of this quantitative study is twofold: to determine (a) the inter rater reliability in interpretation of Fiber optic Endoscopic Evaluations of Swallowing (FEES) exams, and (b) the factors that influence the diet recommendations made by Speech Language Pathologists (SLP’s) in acute hospital settings.

Questions that will be explored through this study are: 

1. What is the inter rater reliability in interpretation of FEES exams by SLP's in acute hospital settings?

2. How consistent are recommendations made by SLP’s when evaluating results of a FEES exam in acute hospital settings? 

3. What are the factors that influence the diet recommendations made by SLP’s based on results of FEES exams in acute hospital settings?

4. How do SLPs' level of experience relate to their choices regarding diet recommendations based on results of FEES exams in acute hospital settings? 

Given this purpose and these research questions, my study falls under the category of a correlational design. This correlational approach is reflected in the second portion of the purpose statement, the study will attempt to find what factors influence the diet recommendations chosen by an SLP.