Examining the Use of Pill Swallowing in Dysphagia Assessment: A Survey of Common Practices

Abstract

Abstract Pill swallowing and medication administration can be problematic in patients with difficulty swallowing and can lead to poor medication compliance. The extent to which speech-language pathologists (SLPs) consider pill swallowing during videofluorographic assessments, however, is not known. A survey focusing on SLP practices, knowledge, and opinions about assessment of pill swallowing and subsequent medication administration decisions in patients with dysphagia was distributed to SLPs via American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) special interest divisions and an online forum. Results from the survey revealed that while 53% of respondents agreed that pill swallowing should be included during dysphagia assessment, only 28% routinely do so. However, 58% of the SLPs reported making recommendations regarding medication administration based on the results of the videofluorographic exam. Further research should focus on best practices for pill swallowing assessment as well as exploring interventions for pill swallowing difficulty within the dysphagic population so that adverse events can be minimized, and patient outcome maximized.