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Title: The Dysphagia Dysphonia Modernized Care Acute Pathway: Is it working?


Authors: 1 Murphy, Gerard1, Hanevy, Mulcahy, Ruth, Sile1, Teresa1; Thong
Publication: Journal of The Irish Head and Neck Society - 2025
Issue: 3 Volume: 3
Published: February, 2025 View PDF

Background:
The modernised care dysphonia/ dysphagia pathway is a scheduled care reform initiative that seeks to implement, operationalise and optimise clinically redesigned patient pathways.

Aims & Objectives:
1. To review the outcomes of SLT led clinics
a. Numbers seen
b. Numbers removed from ENT waiting list
c. Waiting times
d. Numbers referred to community SLT

Methodology:
Data was collected prospectively via excel document over a 12month period.

Results:
a) A total of 329 patients were seen, n=265 news and n=64 reviews, 265 (83%) patients attended, 5% DNA rate. Staffing allocated avg.8WTE.Clinical Specialist SLT.
b) 89% (n=286) patients being directly removed without any need for ENT follow up.11% of patients returned for ENT follow up. Modernised care pathway removed 4.65% of new patients from the overall ENT waitlist.
c) Waiting times varied significantly, from 2-100weeks but overall improvement in waiting times from 4 years when the pilot was first established.
d) 41% (n=130) patients were identified to be referred/ care returned to community speech and language therapists.

Conclusion:
The modernised care acute pathway seems to be successfully achieving it’s intended aims of managing patients appropriately with low/ medium voice/ swallow concerns.

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