Sunnybrook Facial Grading System: Intra-rater and Inter-rater Variabilities

Objectives: Evaluate intra-rater and inter-rater variabilities of the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System (SFGS) explore potential factors variability. Study Design: Prospective test hypothesis. Setting: University tertiary referral center. Participants/Methods: video recordings 20 patients with variable degrees peripheral facial palsy (PFP) were anonymized then presented to 31 independents raters in 2 trials. The senior junior professionals involved management PFP: ENT specialists, physiotherapists, speech therapists. SFGS was used for grading paralysis. Main Outcome Measure: Intra-rater estimated by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC [95% confidence interval]) composite score three subscores SFGS. Factors variability studied were: rater professions experience (senior vs junior). Results: For total population, ICC 0.915[0.900–0.929] considered represent almost perfect repeatability. Repeatability important symmetry at rest (0.694[0.646–0.737]), voluntary movements (0.903[0.886–0.918]), synkinesis (0.810[0.778–0.838]). 0.847[0.755–0.923] indicating agreement between all raters. Agreement (0.839[0.746–0.919]), but moderate (0.553[0.408–0.730]) weak (0.476[0.333–0.666]). Some found groups; however, repeatability good Conclusions: is a reproducible scale. It can be reproducibility both novices experts, PFP.