Telehealth for Dysphagia Across the Life Span: Using Contemporary Evidence and Expertise to Guide Clinical Practice During and After COVID-19.

Purpose Our aim was to critically review recent literature on the use of telehealth for dysphagia during the COVID-19 pandemic and enhance this information in order to provide evidence- and practice-based clinical guidance during and after the pandemic. Method We conducted a rapid systematized review to identify telehealth adaptations during COVID-19, according to peer-reviewed articles published from January to August 2020. Of the 40 articles identified, 11 met the inclusion criteria. Full-text reviews were completed by three raters, followed by qualitative synthesis of the results and description of practical recommendations for the use of telehealth for dysphagia. Results Seven articles were guidelines articles, three were editorials, and one was a narrative review. One article focused on telehealth and dysphagia during COVID-19. The remaining 10 mentioned telehealth in varying degrees while focusing on dysphagia management during the pandemic. No articles discussed pediatrics in depth. The most common procedure for which telehealth was recommended was the clinical swallowing assessment (8/11), followed by therapy (7/11). Six articles characterized telehealth as a second-tier service delivery option. Only one article included brief guidance on telehealth-specific factors, such as legal safeguards, safety, privacy, infrastructure, and facilitators. Conclusions Literature published during the pandemic on telehealth for dysphagia is extremely limited and guarded in endorsing telehealth as an equivalent service delivery model. We have presented prepandemic and emerging current evidence for the safety and reliability of dysphagia telemanagement, in combination with practical guidelines to facilitate the safe adoption of telehealth during and after the pandemic.

Objective and Subjective Clinical Swallowing Outcomes via Telehealth: Reliability in Outpatient Clinical Practice.

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically increased the use of telehealth. Prior studies of telehealth clinical swallowing evaluations provide positive evidence for telemanagement of swallowing. However, the reliability of these measures in clinical practice, as opposed to well-controlled research conditions, remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the reliability of outcome measures derived from clinical swallowing tele-evaluations in real-world clinical practice (e.g., variability in devices and Internet connectivity, lack of in-person clinician assistance, or remote patient/caregiver training). Method Seven raters asynchronously judged clinical swallowing tele-evaluations of 12 movement disorders patients. Outcomes included the Timed Water Swallow Test (TWST), Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS), and common observations of oral intake. Statistical analyses were performed to examine inter- and intrarater reliability, as well as qualitative analyses exploring patient and clinician-specific factors impacting reliability. Results Forty-four trials were included for reliability analyses. All rater dyads demonstrated "good" to "excellent" interrater reliability for measures of the TWST (intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs] ≥ .93) and observations of oral intake (≥ 77% agreement). The majority of TOMASS outcomes demonstrated "good" to "excellent" interrater reliability (ICCs ≥ .84), with the exception of the number of bites (ICCs = .43-.99) and swallows (ICCs = .21-.85). Immediate and delayed intrarater reliability were "excellent" for most raters across all tasks, ranging between ICCs of .63 and 1.00. Exploratory factors potentially impacting reliability included infrequent instances of suboptimal video quality, reduced camera stability, camera distance, and obstruction of the patient's mouth during tasks. Conclusions Subjective observations of oral intake and objective measures taken from the TWST and the TOMASS can be reliably measured via telehealth in clinical practice. Our results provide support for the feasibility and reliability of telehealth for outpatient clinical swallowing evaluations during COVID-19 and beyond. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13661378.

Flexible submental sensor patch with remote monitoring controls for management of oropharyngeal swallowing disorders.

Successful rehabilitation of oropharyngeal swallowing disorders (i.e., dysphagia) requires frequent performance of head/neck exercises that primarily rely on expensive biofeedback devices, often only available in large medical centers. This directly affects treatment compliance and outcomes, and highlights the need to develop a portable and inexpensive remote monitoring system for the telerehabilitation of dysphagia. Here, we present the development and preliminarily validation of a skin-mountable sensor patch that can fit on the curvature of the submental (under the chin) area noninvasively and provide simultaneous remote monitoring of muscle activity and laryngeal movement during swallowing tasks and maneuvers. This sensor patch incorporates an optimal design that allows for the accurate recording of submental muscle activity during swallowing and is characterized by ease of use, accessibility, reusability, and cost-effectiveness. Preliminary studies on a patient with Parkinson's disease and dysphagia, and on a healthy control participant demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this system.

The Recline and Head Lift Exercises: A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Biomechanical Swallowing Outcomes and Perceived Effort in Healthy Older Adults.

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare biomechanical swallowing outcomes and perceived effort as well as detraining effects of the established Head Lift Exercise (HLE) and the novel Recline Exercise (RE) in healthy older adults. Method Twenty-two healthy older adults were randomized to perform either the RE or the HLE for a period of 6 weeks. Subjects underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing studies at 3 time points (baseline, postexercise, and following a 6-week detraining period). Primary outcome measures included biomechanical measures of superior and anterior hyoid excursion and upper esophageal sphincter opening, obtained using kinematic analyses on the recorded swallows. Perceived exertion ratings during exercise, as measured by the Borg scale, were included as a secondary outcome measure. Linear mixed-effects models were utilized to compare exercise groups and evaluation time points. Results The 2 exercise groups did not differ significantly in age, body mass index, or body fat percentage at baseline. Significant postexercise increases were seen in superior hyoid excursion, F(2, 36.7) = 24.01, p ≤ .0001, and anterior hyoid excursion, F(2, 36.7) = 5.40, p = .0088, for both exercise groups. Upper esophageal sphincter opening did not increase significantly following the exercise regimens, F(2, 36.5) = 2.14, p = .1322. Both groups displayed a significant decrease in perceived exertion levels over the course of the exercises, F(5, 98) = 23.73, p ≤ .0001. On average, Borg ratings were 20% lower for the RE group than the HLE group at all time points, F(5, 20) = 7.94, p = .0106, indicating that this exercise was perceived as easier to perform. Eighteen participants were followed after detraining, and no differences in detraining effects were seen between groups. In general, gains in biomechanical measures were better maintained on larger bolus types. Conclusions In healthy older adults, the HLE and the RE produced similar gains and detraining effects in biomechanical swallow outcomes. The RE exercise, however, required significantly less effort. These findings suggest that the RE is easier to perform for healthy older adults and thus may be a valuable treatment option for individuals who have difficulty performing the HLE. Further investigation in patients with dysphagia is warranted. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.7742897.

Reduced Maximum Pitch Elevation Predicts Silent Aspiration of Small Liquid Volumes in Stroke Patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Preliminary evidence has shown that reduced ability to maximally raise vocal pitch correlates with the occurrence of aspiration (i.e., airway invasion by food or liquid). However, it is unclear if this simple task can be used as a reliable predictor of aspiration in stroke patients. Our aim was to examine whether maximum vocal pitch elevation predicted airway invasion and dysphagia in stroke. METHODS: Forty-five consecutive stroke patients (<1 month poststroke) at a rehabilitation setting participated in a videofluoroscopic swallow study and two maximum vocal pitch elevation tasks. Maximum pitch was evaluated acoustically [maximum fundamental frequency (max F0)] and perceptually. Swallowing safety was rated using the Penetration/Aspiration Scale and swallowing performance was assessed using components of the Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImPTM©). Data were analyzed using simple regression and receiver operating characteristics curves to test the sensitivity and specificity of max F0 in predicting aspiration. Correlations between max F0 and MBSImP variables were also examined. RESULTS: Max F0 predicted silent aspiration of small liquid volumes with 80% sensitivity and 65% specificity (p = 0.023; area under the curve: 0.815; cutoff value of 359.03 Hz). Max F0 did not predict non-silent aspiration or penetration in this sample and did not significantly correlate with MBSImP variables. Furthermore, all participants who aspirated silently on small liquid volumes (11% of sample) had suffered cortical or subcortical lesions. CONCLUSION: In stroke patients (<1 month poststroke), reduced maximum pitch elevation predicts silent aspiration of small liquid volumes with high sensitivity and moderate specificity. Future large-scale studies focusing on further validating this finding and exploring the value of this simple and non-invasive tool as part of a dysphagia screening are warranted.