Developing strategies "SATIA": How to manage dysphagia in older people? A Delphi panel consensus.
Huafang Zhang, Li Zheng, Mengling Tang and 10 others
PMID 36440605WHAT IT FOUND
Experts agreed 53 strategies for older people with swallowing problems, from screening and assessment to feeding, oral care and team management.
These are recommendations, not tested treatments.
Key findings
01A Delphi panel reached consensus on 53 strategies for older people with dysphagia, grouped into screening, assessment, training, intervention and administration.
02The agreed intervention and management sections cover posture, sensory stimulation, rehabilitation training, oral hygiene, diet control, nutritional support and multidisciplinary team care.
03Patients and caregivers were not included, and the strategies have not been tested in older people.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The participants were 18 experts, not patients, families or the public. Patients and caregivers were not included, so their views on feasibility and acceptability are missing. The strategies have not been tested in older people, so there is no evidence that they improve swallowing or reduce aspiration. Experts were recruited by convenience sampling from a dysphagia communication group, so the panel may not represent all clinicians. The panel included 12 nurse managers, six doctors and three speech therapists, and most came from tertiary hospitals. The strategies were developed for China, so their fit in other health systems is not shown.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The work was supported by a public welfare project from the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology in China.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 53 agreed strategies as evidence that they reduce aspiration or improve swallowing. The study produced expert consensus ratings, and the authors state the strategies have not yet been used or verified in older people.