Patient Experiences of Swallowing Exercises After Head and Neck Cancer: A Qualitative Study Examining Barriers and Facilitators Using Behaviour Change Theory.
Roganie Govender, Caroline E Wood, Stuart A Taylor and 3 others
PMID 28424898WHAT IT FOUND
Patients after head and neck cancer struggled to do swallowing exercises when they did not see why the exercises mattered to them, forgot them, or had pain and fatigue.
Family, clinician support, routines, and visible progress were reported as helpful.
Key findings
01A main barrier was that patients did not feel able to make swallowing exercises part of their day because they did not understand why the exercises mattered to them.
02Support from clinicians and family was a commonly reported facilitator of continuing exercises.
03Patients who used charts, phone reminders, or set routines reported these as helpful for keeping track of exercises.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included 13 patients from one UK centre, so the themes may not apply to other services, treatment groups, or patient populations. Patients were asked to recall experiences from treatment up to 18 months earlier, and all had at least three swallowing exercise consultations, so views may differ for patients with different timing or less rehabilitation contact. The study did not test an intervention or measure whether the reported barriers and facilitators actually change adherence or swallowing outcomes. The findings are qualitative themes, not evidence that any treatment works.
Declared interests
The paper reports the funder as the Research Trainees Coordinating Centre. No other conflicts are reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these barriers and facilitators as evidence that changing them improves swallowing exercise adherence or patient outcomes. The study interviewed 13 patients about their experiences and did not test an intervention or measure whether these factors caused change.