Service Evaluation
The South West Academic Health Science Network (SWAHSN) supported a Service Evaluation at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.*
* These two institutions have since re-named and are now known as Health Innovation South West and Royal Devon University
Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and respectively.
Treating dysphagia with IQoro in an NHS setting
The evaluation explored the introduction of IQoro into a National Health Service (NHS) setting. Patients with chronic dysphagia were recruited from acute and community settings and completed a 12-week program using IQoro.
Clinical and well-being measures were taken pre- and post-training. Feedback was gained from the Speech and Language Therapists delivering this program.
25 patients were recruited into the evaluation, 21 completed the program.
A significant improvement with IQoro
There were significant improvements in self-reported quality of life scores, including the overall scores and burden of dysphagia and mental health subscales.
Significant improvement in functional measures of dysphagia
There was a significant improvement in functional measures of dysphagia, including the consistencies of food and drink that patients could safely
manage, with all patients moving two or more IDDSI levels to ‘normal’ consistencies for both food and drinks.
Improvement in oral feeding and facial movement
Of 10 patients who presented with long-term enteral feeding via PEG or NGT at the beginning of the evaluation, 4 returned to oral feeding by the end of the period. There was also a significant improvement in the facial movement and symmetry of the lower half of the face.
Feedback from SLTs
Feedback from SLTs indicated that IQoro improved the range of therapy options available and many planned to use it again. Qualitative feedback suggested that the use of IQoro may change SLTs clinical thinking, including in relation to intervention or compensation for dysphagia.
Peer-reviewed summary
A summary of the evaluation (more detailed than the poster) has been peer-reviewed and internationally published in the attached. (See § 7.1.1.5).
This book chapter is co-authored by a UK SLT and presents IQoro as a treatment for both dysphagia related and reflux related conditions. It includes comprehensive descriptions of the physiology and neurology of the swallowing process and a case study of IQoro treatment of children and young adults with Cerebral Palsy in the UK.
Introducing IQoro: A Clinically Effective Oral Neuromuscular Treatment for Dysphagia