Thickened Liquids for Dysphagia Management: A Call to Action in the Development of Educational and Instructional Strategies.

This paper is a "call to action" in the service delivery of thickened liquids. We discuss the importance of staff education and further development of educational resources in dysphagia management involving the use of thickened liquids, particularly as related to inadequacies in staff education and training. We discuss the use of contemporary instructional strategies to promote accuracy in preparation and knowledge about the thickening process. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Thickened liquids represent a commonly applied compensation in dysphagia management with a substantial increase in the number and type of thickening products over the past few years. Because of continued reliance on instant thickening products that require preparation, it is essential that professionals who recommend changes to diet that include thickened liquids also engage in consistent staff instruction about their preparation. This discussion paper highlights the importance of staff education to minimize inaccuracies in preparation and the use of innovative instructional strategies to augment instruction.