Getting the consistency right in thickened liquids using Viscgo Sticks: A validation study.

Area of Science:

• Clinical Nutrition
• Swallowing Disorders
• Medical Device Validation

Background:

• Dysphagia impacts swallowing, eating, and drinking abilities.
• Food and drink modification, including thickening agents, aids safe swallowing.
• The syringe flow test is the recommended method for checking drink thickness, but is underutilized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Viscgo Sticks as a practical alternative to the syringe flow test for assessing thickened drink consistency.
• To determine the reliability and validity of Viscgo Sticks in real-world clinical settings.

Main Methods:

• A real-world validation study involving independent researchers and healthcare professionals.
• Viscgo Sticks were tested against the syringe flow test using three levels of thickened drinks.
• Tests included various thickening agents and drink types (water, milk, orange juice, hot tea).

Main Results:

• Viscgo Sticks demonstrated moderate to almost perfect intra- and inter-rater reliability (κ = 0.45–0.98).
• Reliability was substantial among healthcare professionals (κ = 0.66–0.67).
• Viscgo Sticks correctly classified 83.33%–100% of thickened drinks with high accuracy (AUC = 0.70–1.00).

Conclusions:

• Viscgo Sticks provide a simple, reliable, and valid tool for verifying prescribed liquid thickness in healthcare.
• The tool is invaluable for daily drink preparation in clinical practice.
• Viscgo Sticks offer a practical means to test thickened drinks, with minor exceptions noted.