Descriptive study on the role of speech therapists in detecting and addressing clinical symptoms suggestive of oesophageal dysphagia in patients diagnosed with advanced dementia

Abstract

Introduction: Speech therapists are qualified to prevent, assess and treat swallowing disorders. They also have the skills to perform clinical assessments, carry out screening and interpret instrumental swallowing assessments. However, in the presence of individuals with oesophageal dysphagia, the role of speech-language pathologists in detecting symptoms and signs in order to anticipate and refer patients to specialised professionals in a timely manner has not been defined. Objective: To describe the role of speech therapists in detecting and addressing signs and symptoms suggestive of oesophageal dysphagia in patients with advanced dementia in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile. Methodology: Qualitative study with a narrative design, involving nine semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling. Results: There is agreement among the interviewees that the main role is to investigate signs and symptoms of oesophageal dysphagia and then make a timely referral to the treating physician, so that if the speech therapist does not investigate the signs and symptoms, they go unnoticed and sometimes this diagnosis is underestimated. Discussion: Speech therapists play a secondary role, as they are the professionals who spend the most time with these patients and are therefore alert to these possible signs and symptoms. In this case, they must investigate early on in order to refer the patient to a specialist. Conclusion: Currently, the role in oesophageal dysphagia is not defined, so further research is needed to define and delimit the participation of this professional as a collaborator in the diagnosis of oesophageal dysphagia.