Dysphagia Variabilities and Identification in the Primary Care Setting

IntroductionPublic and clinical awareness of dysphagia remains low, leading to under-diagnosis and delayed treatment. This study investigates the utility of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) as a proactive screening instrument for dysphagia in outpatient settings.MethodsObservational, cohort study from 121 adult outpatients undergoing instrumental swallowing evaluations. Participants self-administered the EAT-10 prior to their instrumental assessment.ResultsSelf-reported swallowing difficulty via EAT-10 scores significantly correlates with objectively measured dysphagia severity. Patients who remained on a regular diet following swallowing evaluation had significantly lower average EAT-10 scores than those who were recommended for diet modifications based on dysphagia severity (13.0 vs. 26.1, p<.001) and were significantly less likely to have a PAS score of 3 or higher (31.8% vs. 76.9%, p=.001). Patients with a PAS score of 3 or higher had a significantly higher average EAT-10 score of 18.1 compared to patients with a PAS score less than 3 with an average EAT-10 score of 12.5 (p=.006).ConclusionsOur work suggests that the EAT-10 effectively identifies individuals requiring further intervention. Implementing validated screening tools in the outpatient primary care space can expedite referrals to specialists, facilitate earlier interventions, and reduce the substantial healthcare burden associated with untreated dysphagia.