Imparting Awareness Among Health Care Professionals About The Role Of Speech And Language Pathologists In Treating Dysphagia

Abstract

Background: Dysphagia is a high-burden swallowing disorder associated with aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, and increased morbidity and mortality when not recognized and managed promptly. Effective care depends on multidisciplinary collaboration, yet limited awareness among healthcare professionals regarding the role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) may delay appropriate referral and intervention. Objective: To determine whether a brief educational intervention improves healthcare professionals’ awareness of dysphagia management and the role of SLPs. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre–post study was conducted at two tertiary-care facilities in Lahore, Pakistan (June 2024–June 2025). Using purposive sampling, 150 practicing healthcare professionals from multiple disciplines completed a validated questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.85) immediately before and after a standardized 40-minute awareness lecture on dysphagia and SLP-led assessment and management. The primary outcome was the within-participant change in total awareness score; paired-samples t-testing was performed using SPSS v27, with subgroup exploration by clinical experience. Results: Participants were predominantly female (58.7%) and aged <30 years (86.0%); 95.3% held at least a graduate qualification, and 62.0% reported no prior clinical experience. Awareness scores improved significantly post-intervention (mean increase 3.71 points; 95% CI 0.07–7.34; t(149)=2.02; p=0.046), with a small effect size (Cohen’s d=0.16). Change did not differ significantly by experience (p=0.214). Conclusion: A brief, structured lecture was associated with a statistically significant, modest improvement in dysphagia and SLP-role awareness, supporting targeted education as a feasible strategy to strengthen multidisciplinary dysphagia care pathways.