Date of Award

Spring 1-1-2021

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Speech Language Pathology Degree

Department

Speech Pathology and Audiology

First Advisor

Cox, Violet

Second Advisor

Doreen Binnie

Third Advisor

Andrew Lammers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was two-fold, to determine practicing medical speech language pathologists' (SLP) belief of importance of standardization in dysphagia diets and to determine their knowledge and utilization of corresponding standardized terminologies. Three main research questions were examined: (1) What are SLPs’ beliefs regarding the importance ofstandardization in dysphagia diet prescription? (2) How familiar are medical SLPs with standardized dysphagia diet level terminologies? (3) How often do these SLPs utilize correct, standardized levels when treating patients with dysphagia? This qualitative study included 51 participants who were medical SLPs employed in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and rehabilitation centers across several states. Participants completed an online survey via Qualtrics. The study found that the majority of participants value the standardization of dysphagia diets. However, it appears that participants were still uncertain about the terminologies associated with the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) and the National Dysphagia Diet (NDD). The conclusion of this study was that SLPs could benefit from training in the use of standardized dysphagia diet terminologies.

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