Dysphagia Variabilities and Identification in the Primary Care Setting

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Gastroenterology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Low awareness of dysphagia leads to under-diagnosis and delayed treatment.
• Dysphagia significantly impacts quality of life and increases healthcare costs.
• Proactive screening is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) as a dysphagia screening tool in outpatient settings.
• To determine the correlation between EAT-10 scores and objectively measured dysphagia severity.
• To assess the utility of EAT-10 for identifying patients needing intervention.

Main Methods:

• Observational cohort study of 121 adult outpatients.
• Participants completed the EAT-10 prior to instrumental swallowing evaluation.
• EAT-10 scores were correlated with objective dysphagia severity (PAS scores) and diet recommendations.

Main Results:

• EAT-10 scores significantly correlated with objective dysphagia severity (p<.001).
• Patients requiring diet modifications had higher EAT-10 scores (26.1) vs. regular diet (13.0).
• Higher PAS scores (≥3) were associated with significantly higher EAT-10 scores (18.1 vs. 12.5, p=.006).

Conclusions:

• The EAT-10 is a valuable tool for identifying individuals with dysphagia requiring intervention.
• Implementing EAT-10 in primary care can expedite referrals and early treatment.
• Effective screening reduces the burden of untreated dysphagia.