Assessment of Dysphagia Management Competence among Healthcare Providers: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Functional swallowing is imperative to sustain life and maintain health, necessitating healthcare providers' competence in managing swallowing disorders. This scoping review aims to identify and compare how competence in dysphagia management is assessed among healthcare providers. Our search identified 11 final records, demonstrating the limited existing literature. Overall, no specific standardized protocol currently exists for the assessment of dysphagia competence across healthcare disciplines. Therefore, developing a standardized metric to assess competence in dysphagia management among healthcare providers would not only improve training in dysphagia management by creating a consistent standard for healthcare providers' competence, but also promote equitable and effective care delivery across diverse healthcare settings, improving outcomes for individuals with swallowing disorders on a global scale.