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April 2023 Newsletter

Apr 01, 2023 Posted by: Ronda Polanksy

Happy Spring & Happy Easter

April puts the spirit of youth in everything, as Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.

Welcome to DiagnosTEX

We would like to welcome Jamie to the front desk! Many of you will get to know her through phone calls and scheduling. She is a great addition to our office staff and you will enjoy getting to know her!

Our new driver/tech include: David. We are excited to have them a part of our team! Lots of new developments and growth at DiagnosTEX, looking forward to all the possibilities in 2023.

Get prepared! It’s getting close!

MAY is Better Speech and Hearing Month

Be prepared next month, we need to educate now more than ever! The May event provides opportunities to raise awareness. ASHA has many resources to help you celebrate BHSM every day. www.asha.org . Some good educational material to share can also be found in the DiagnosTEX Bookstore and the Barium Barista Clinical Cafe at www.dysphagiadiagnostex.com. Check it out!

  • ABOVE and BEYOND - By: Ronda Polansky M.S. CCC-SLP

    Patient, Caregiver, and Healthcare Professional Educational Reference Sheets and Handouts for Effective Dysphagia Rehabilitation. Over 30 handouts on specific disorders in dysphagia in ONE location to use in your practice, plus a resource section for SLP’s on cranial nerve testing, pharyngeal exercises, and treatment techniques. A need to have booklet in your therapy bag!! Cost: $40.00. (plus, S&H). Discounted to $30.00 for MBSH Month. Call us and we will get one out to you!
  • What You Can Not See at Bedside (DVD or jump drive)

    Copies of MBSS studies for the education of staff and families on various disorders and clear episodes of penetrations and aspirations. Cost - $40.00 (plus S & H). Discounted to $30.00 for MBSH Month. A great educational tool for anyone! These are the same videos we presented at TSHA.
  • An SLP Should NEVER Lose Their Voice: Advocate for Proper Dysphagia Evaluations

    Material to assist in educating Physicians, Administrators, Nurses and other Medical Professionals on Dysphagia and Modified Barium Swallow Studies.
  • Also we are giving a shout-out to the new recipe book authored by those at Simply Thick, a must-have for those on altered diets! Modern Dysphagia Cooking – Laurie Berger, Paul Haefner, John Holahan, and Nancy Yezzi.

April CE’s - Deciphering Dysphagia with Ampcare’s ESP™ (Effective Swallowing Protocol)

On-Demand + Zoom Webinar Wednesday & Thursday, April 19-20, 2023 3-5 pm CT (4-6 pm ET) *8 Hours Advanced ASHA CE. Register at www.ampcarellc.com

DiagnosTEX preparing for next CE course for DFW this summer! Stay Tuned!

DiagnosTEX Outpatient Pediatric Clinic

Seeing pediatric patients on Tuesdays and Fridays! See website for more details or call the office at 817-514-6271.

It’s time to do something!

The costs of health care & long-term care for those with Alzheimer’s or another dementia are STAGGERING. Dementia is one of the costliest conditions to society. While deaths from heart disease decline 7.3%, Alzheimer’s deaths continue to skyrocket and increased 145%. Our families, our economy and our communities are straining under the weight of this disease. Don’t settle for it, Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging. It is a fatal disease

that robs us of those we love. Together, we can make a difference. Join a walk in 2023 to end Alzheimer’s! https://act.alz.org

Evaluation of Dysphagia - How Many Phases to the Swallow?

Three

  1. Oral Phase
  2. Pharyngeal Phase
  3. Esophageal Phase

WHY are most SLPs are ok with just assessing the oral and pharyngeal? You can’t see phase 3 at Bedside and you can’t see it with FEES. What are you missing 40-50% of the time?

  • 76% of patients with complaints of “food sticking” had esophageal abnormalities; only 20% accurately localized bolus stasis (Madhavan et al., 2015)
  • Identifying an esophageal problem may lead to the dx of a previously unknown systemic disease, some of which may have implications for oropharyngeal dysfunction (Madhavan et al., 2015)
  • Esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer; the SLP may be able to avert considerable morbidity and potential mortality for that patient (Massey, 2022)
  • 50% of patients with prolonged esophageal transit time had oral abnormalities; 33% of esophageal disorders would have been inaccurately treated as oropharyngeal dysphagia (Massey, 2022)
  • DiagnosTEX QA 2022 – 262 patients, 46% showed esophageal involvement in dysphagia.
  • 48.67% of MBSS participants had esophageal findings (Reedy, et al., 2021)

Dysphagia and Feeding Products

Liftware's selection of stabilizing and leveling handles and attachments are designed to help people with hand tremor or limited hand and arm mobility retain dignity, confidence, and independence. Liftware Steady (previously marketed as “Liftware”) is an electronic stabilizing handle and a selection of attachments that include a soup spoon, everyday spoon, fork, and spork. Liftware Steady is designed to help people with hand tremor, which may be related to Parkinson's disease or essential tremor, eat more easily. Liftware Level — A computerized handle that keeps its attachments level for those with limited hand or arm mobility to help them eat more easily. Such limited mobility may be associated with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, Huntington's disease, or post-stroke deficits. It adapts to your range of motion and electronic motion-stabilizing technology to keep your utensil level, regardless of how your hand or arm twists, bends, or moves. The leveling handle contains sensors that detect changes from the intended movement of the hand in 3 dimensions. Please share the contacts with your patients - https://www.liftware.com/, support@liftware.com or +1 (415) 894-5438 Available weekdays 5am–5pm PT.

The innovative Provale Cup ensures Small Sips – The cup lets users enjoy their favorite liquids without added thickeners, while asserting an element of control and independence. Designed for those with dysphagia, the Provale Cup delivers a fixed measured dose of fluid. When the cup is tilted in a typical drinking motion, liquid travels out of a measurement device. Before any additional liquid is released for consumption, the cup must be returned to an upright position and the drinking motion repeated. With