The Need for Interdisciplinary Framework for Management of Dysphagia

Abstract

The World is in the midst of transition characterized by low birth and death rates, resulting in the rising population of geriatric persons. India is also facing this situation and will become the country with the second largest number of persons in the World. According to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare the number of 60+ in India will increase to 100 million in 2013 to 198 million in 2030 1. Ageing population need not be a drain of social and economic resources. The National Program for The Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) wants initiatives and interventions from the aspect of Preventive, Curative and rehabilitative aspects in the geriatric field. Many medical conditions that commonly affect the elderly can cause dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing which impacts nutritional state and frailty. This is more so after the devastating pandemic which has caused swallowing difficulty in many post Covid 19 patients. It is a hidden disability and it is important and essential that a multidisciplinary approach be formulated and guidelines be established to have effective interventions in place to help this rapidly growing vulnerable population. Recognizing this important initiative and the need for setting guidelines for the care of these vulnerable patients, IAPEN INDIA launched the Dysphagia Core Group or Special Interest Groups which consists of voluntary members of Doctors in the specialty of Neurologists, onco surgeons, ENT specialists along with experts in the academic field teaching speech language pathology, practicing clinical dietitians, swallow therapists and Speech language Pathologists in August 2019. Keywords: IAPEN INDIA, Nutrition, Speech Language pathologists, Dysphagia, Covid 19, Core Group, Swallow Therapists, Clinical Dietitian, oncology