Dysphagia Education and Diet Modification: Preparing Clinicians to Make Patient-Focused Decisions Through Experiential Learning

This study examined the use of an experiential learning activity to familiarize students with the preparation and consumption of a modified diet (puree solids and mildly thick liquids) for 24 hr from a patient's perspective. We hypothesized that students would demonstrate high levels of noncompliance despite their understanding of the purpose and use of modified diets and the short duration of the activity. This is a quasi-experimental study of multiple cohorts of students examining their overall compliance with a modified diet, nutrition/hydration intake patterns, and personal responses to the experience. Statistical analysis of nutritional intake patterns was completed across compliant/noncompliant groups, and thematic content analysis was completed to identify frequently occurring themes in narrative personal reflections. Compliant participants consumed greater amounts of sugar and calories. Themes of empathy, struggles with preparation of the diet, and aversion to taste were common examples of personal responses to the experience. Results demonstrate the efficacy of experiential learning in dysphagia education and align with the current body of literature of dysphagia management through modified diets.