A mixed-methods survey explores dysphagia management perceptions among non-SLP geriatrics providers, indicating a need for enhanced collaboration.
Key Points
The study aims to explore dysphagia management perspectives among geriatrics-focused health care providers not specialized in speech-language pathology.
Administered a 21-item mixed-methods online survey to geriatrics-focused health care providers (excluding SLPs) via Qualtrics software.
Collected anonymous opt-in responses from identified providers through various outreach methods.
Analyzed data descriptively and qualitatively using inductive thematic analysis and a jointly developed codebook.
69.5% of providers felt confident while 81.7% felt knowledgeable about dysphagia management but 74.4% desired more training.
The primary barrier for screening was poor integration into clinical workflows, noted by 52.4% of respondents.
92.7% referred patients to SLPs but only for 1%-25% of patients, with 69.6% asking about swallowing in ≥ 50% of dementia patients.