Food For Thought: Self-Criticism and Raising the Bar of Dysphagia Practice

Abstract

AbstractThe assessment and treatment of swallowing disorders have become central to the practice of the medical speech-language pathologist. The outcomes associated with swallowing and swallowing disorders are severe with aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration, and reduced quality of life among the most concerning. Clinicians practicing in this area possess unequal skills, training, and experience, and there is considerable variation in practice in the field. This article focuses on variation and error in swallowing assessment with attention to reliability and accuracy of the videofluoroscopic swallowing assessment. In this self-critical overview of the practice, recommendations are made for developing a standardized assessment protocol, shared lexicon, and specialty recognition in the area of swallowing and swallowing disorders.