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A simple and reliable screening tool for aspiration risk in adults with swallowing disorders
What is it about?
Dysphagia, and aspiration, occur more frequently with aging and with the onset of certain disease processes, and it can result in increased mortality rates, reduced quality of life, and increased economic costs . Screening protocols that determine aspiration risk have rarely been validated for use outside of the acute care setting or were validated for specific patient populations (most commonly stroke), which limits the clinical utility of those screening tools. This study validated the use of the Yale Swallow Protocol, previously validated only in the acute care setting, for post-acute care (e.g., skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, etc.). Furthermore, the Yale Swallow Protocol is able to be used with patients with virtually all patients regardless of the underlying medical diagnosis.
Why is it important?
Our findings indicate that the Yale Swallow Protocol can be used by speech-language pathologists--working in post-acute care facilities--as a reliable and valid tool for determining aspiration risk.