Modifying Food Textures: Practices and Beliefs of Staff Involved in Nutrition Care

Purpose Modifying food texture is an important part of dysphagia management, yet less is known about the day-to-day practices that might impact the nutritional well-being of patients. This study surveyed staff involved in the service delivery of texture-modified foods with the objectives to gain information about roles and responsibilities, instruction and knowledge about modifying foods, and beliefs about the use of texture-modified foods in nutrition care. Method We created a 21-item survey about texture-modified foods. Recruitment efforts focused on both professional and frontline staff involved in service delivery. Practice groups and organizations provided the means of recruiting professionals from different disciplines. Because frontline staff (e.g., certified nursing assistants, cooks) do not have similar membership groups, we recruited them through direct contacts with health care agencies. Results A total of 175 individuals completed the survey. Respondents included 107 professionals (primarily c...