Dysphagia refers to difficulty swallowing and can be potentially life-threatening due to malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration pneumonia, and other complications including death. The consequences of dysphagia can be exacerbated in patients diagnosed with stroke. Screening for dysphagia has primarily been the responsibility of speech-language pathologists; however, researchers have called for training programs that include other staff, such as nurses and dietitians, in the screening process. In the proposed investigation, a researcher-developed dysphagia screening tool training program will be evaluated for effectiveness with registered dietitians to screen stroke patients.
