The Landscape of Videofluoroscopy in the UK: A Web-Based Survey.
J K Benfield, E Michou, L F Everton and 4 others
PMID 32417980WHAT IT FOUND
UK speech therapists often do not know the technical settings of their own videofluoroscopy clinics.
Many use lower frame rates than recommended, and half do not use standardised assessment protocols, which risks inaccurate diagnosis of swallowing problems.
Key findings
01A high percentage of respondents reported not knowing information regarding their assessment procedures, such as type of contrast, contrast concentration, and the operation of the fluoroscopy equipment such as, acquisition mode, pulse rate, frame rate and screening times.
02Standard assessment protocols are used in 47.5% (48/101) of VFS clinics.
03Frame-by-frame analysis is used in analysis in 58.4% (59/101) of clinics, a further 6.9% (7/101) reported using it sometimes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The total number of VFS clinics in the UK is unknown, so the response rate and potential non-response bias cannot be calculated. Data is self-reported and may not reflect actual clinical practice. Respondents' experience levels were not collected, which may influence their knowledge of technical details. Some NHS trusts blocked access to the web-based survey, potentially limiting the sample.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Applied Research Collaboration - East Midlands (GB). No other conflicts of interest are reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the lack of standardised protocols or low frame rates in these clinics means videofluoroscopy is inherently unreliable. It indicates that specific clinics may not be following best-practice technical guidelines, which can be corrected through training and protocol adoption.