Identification of a know-do gap: An observational study of the assessment and treatment of dysphagia during inpatient stroke rehabilitation in primary healthcare in Norway

Purpose: Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a common swallowing impairment post-stroke managed by speech language pathologists (SLP). This article aims to demonstrate a local know-do gap assessment for usual dysphagia care for patients undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation in primary healthcare in Norway, which included an assessment of the functional level of the patients and characteristics and outcomes of treatment. Materials and methods: In this observational study, we assessed the outcomes and interventions of patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation following stroke. The patients received usual care from SLPs while the research team administered a dysphagia assessment protocol that included assessment of several swallowing domains including oral intake, swallowing, patient self-reported functional health status and health-related quality of life, and oral health. The treating SLPs documented the treatments provided in a treatment diary. Results: Of 91 patients who consented, 27 were referred for SLP and 14 received treatment. During the median treatment period of 31.5 days (IQR = 8.8–57.0), patients received 7.0 treatment sessions (IQR = 3.8–13.5) of 60 minutes (IQR = 55–60). The patients who received SLP treatment demonstrated no/minor disorders (n = 7) and moderate/severe disorders (n = 7). Dysphagia treatments primarily included oromotor training and advice on bolus modification and were provided without association to dysphagia severity. Patients with moderate/severe swallowing impairments received slightly more SLP sessions over a longer time. Conclusions: This study identified gaps between current and best practices and opportunities to improve assessment, decision-making, and implement evidence-based practices.