Investigation of Assessment Tools in the Area of Pediatric Feeding Evaluation: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Am J Occup Ther

Victoria Lehr, OTD, MS, OTR/L, is Occupational Therapist and Vocational Director, Cutchins Programs for Children and Families, Northhampton, MA.

Published: July 2023

AI Article Synopsis

  • - The study emphasizes the necessity for occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists to utilize reliable assessment tools for pediatric feeding disorder (PFD), given its complex nature across the medical, nutritional, feeding skill, and psychosocial domains.
  • - A mix of survey and focus group research with clinicians showed that 65% used nonstandardized tools, leading to themes such as the ineffectiveness of single assessments, reliance on self-created tools, and the importance of teamwork in addressing PFD.
  • - The findings indicate a critical need for enhanced education on valid assessment methodologies, as current tools lack standardization and comprehensive evaluation of all PFD domains, ultimately underscoring the call for improved practices in the field.

Article Abstract

Importance: The new diagnostic code for pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition, Clinical Modification, requires that occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) use valid and reliable assessment tools that capture the complexity of PFD.

Objective: To determine current assessment tools that clinicians are using across the four domains of PFD: (1) medical factors, (2) nutrition factors, (3) feeding skill factors, and (4) psychosocial factors. A secondary objective was to obtain clinicians' perceptions of the assessment tools.

Design: A mixed-methods study using survey research and focus groups.

Setting: Online survey and virtual focus groups.

Participants: Occupational therapists and SLPs who identified as clinicians who treat PFDs.

Results: The survey revealed that 65% of the clinicians (N = 445) used a nonstandardized assessment tool across the four domains of PFD. The focus groups (n = 26) revealed four resulting themes that expanded the survey results: (1) no one assessment tool works, (2) clinicians rely on self-created assessments, (3) it takes a team and collaboration, and (4) there are many issues with the current assessment of PFD.

Conclusions And Relevance: This study reveals the need for clinicians working with children with PFD to use feeding assessment tools with sound psychometric properties. The requirement for occupational therapists and SLPs to evaluate and treat dysphagia and disorders of feeding indicates the need to provide entry-level education on reliable and valid assessment tools that thoroughly evaluate all the domains of PFD. What This Article Adds: This article highlights current assessment tools used by occupational therapists and SLPs treating PFD and the need for more standardized procedures and tools to evaluate children across the four domains of PFD.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2023.050040DOI Listing

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