Dysphagia Services Must Meet Consumer and Service Needs
Before the pandemic, dysphagia care was predominantly delivered in-person. However, telepractice offers several advantages:- Reduces travel burden for patients, especially those in rural areas.
- Allows for more naturalistic assessments in the patient's home environment.
- Facilitates access to specialist services without the need for extensive travel.
Aspects of Dysphagia Services Can Be Provided via Telepractice
The study supports the use of telepractice for various dysphagia assessments and management tasks:- Clinical Swallowing Examinations (CSEs) have shown high interrater reliability when conducted via telepractice.
- Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies (VFSS) can be effectively supported through telepractice, improving decision-making and access to expert opinions.
- Telepractice has been successfully used in pediatric feeding assessments and interventions, demonstrating high feasibility and reliability.
Flexible Use of Telepractice in Dysphagia Services
Telepractice can be incorporated in various ways to support dysphagia care:- Connecting clients with clinicians via videoconferencing for assessments and therapy sessions.
- Supporting shared-care models between local and specialist providers.
- Offering online group sessions for patients and their families.
- Using asynchronous telepractice applications for therapy and patient monitoring.
Planned Implementation and Ongoing Evaluation
Successful telepractice implementation requires:- Task analysis to understand clinical needs and user requirements.
- Designing and piloting telepractice systems with end users.
- Comprehensive training for clinicians and patients.
- Ongoing evaluation of telepractice models to ensure effectiveness and user satisfaction.
The Future of Telepractice Research
Future research should focus on:- Further evidence supporting the effectiveness of telepractice models.
- Large-scale clinical trials and implementation evaluations.
- Understanding consumer perceptions and engaging them in service design.
- Robust economic analyses to determine cost-effectiveness.
Telepractice has proven to be a viable model for dysphagia management, and its momentum should continue beyond the pandemic. By focusing on consumer needs and ongoing research, we can ensure the delivery of quality dysphagia care through telepractice.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Telepractice and Dysphagia Management: The Era of COVID-19 and Beyond.