Speech therapy performance in dysphagic cancer patients: use of indicators

Abstract

Objective: To describe hospital speech therapy in dysphagic cancer patients. Methods: Crosssectional, retrospective, descriptive, quantitative study, developed in an oncology hospital. The sample consisted of medical records of cancer patients who underwent speech therapy follow-up for dysphagia. Speech therapy indicators of dysphagia were applied and the oral food intake scale (FOIS) was compared before and after speech therapy. Results: The sample had 400 medical records, 189 were included in the GA (outpatient group) and 211 in the IG (hospitalization group). The general mean age of the sample corresponds to 60.35 ± 12.63, with a predominance of men 263 (65.8%). In relation to the neoplasms presented by the patients: 247 head and neck, and 43 esophagus and stomach. In GA 143 (75.7%) patients improved the FOIS scale after therapy, 33 patients (17.5%) maintained the same level and 13 patients (6.9%) presented worsening in FOIS after the therapeutic process. In GI 103 (48.8%) patients improved after therapy, 81 patients (38.4%) maintained the same level on the scale, and 27 patients (12.8%) presented worsening after speech therapy. Conclusion: The establishment of indicators in the performance of dysphagic patients allows identifying and quantifying improvements in care processes, bringing direct benefits to patients, assisting in the characterization of the population served, optimizing and improving processes and results, aiming at improving the quality of services, as well as reducing length of stay and hospital costs.