New scoring system improves inter-rater reliability of the Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale.

Aim: The Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale (NOMAS) is a standardised tool to assess sucking patterns in infants to 48 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA). In the Netherlands, the interpretation of specific NOMAS items has evolved, leading to a new scoring system. Recent research using the NOMAS describes a way of clustering the most frequent items, and the aim of this study was to determine whether those changes improved the inter-rater reliability.

Methods: The inter-rater reliability was tested by two NOMAS-certified therapists who scored 120 video recordings of 40 preterm infants, admitted to the University Hospital of Düsseldorf, Germany, at 34, 37 and 44 weeks PMA, for normal, disorganised and dysfunctional diagnosis. The NOMAS comprised 28 items and five clusters of items.

Results: The therapists agreed on the level of diagnoses for 116 of 120 recordings (Cohen's Κ 0.90), on an item level for 107 of 120 recordings (Cohen's Κ 0.78) and on a cluster level for 108 of 120 recordings (Cohen's K 0.90).

Conclusion: The new scoring system improved the inter-rater reliability of the NOMAS on all levels, highlighting the importance of NOMAS user having a clear understanding on how to interpret and score each item.