A Cross-Sectional Study on Interprofessional Practice of Health Professionals in Oropharyngeal Dysphagia Management among Acute-Care Inpatients in a Kenyan Level – Six, Research Hospital

Introduction: An Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) practice approach to oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD) management is vital to enhance the outcomes of patients with this condition. Effective practice requires health professionals (HPs) from different specialties to be involved in OPD management. This study assessed HPs’ involvement in OPD management in the acute-care facility (ACF) of a level-six research hospital in Kenya. Methodology: The study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional design. The target population comprised HPs from different work units (medical officers and specialists, nurses, nutritionists, physiotherapists, and Speech therapists-SLP/Ts) attending to inpatients in the hospital’s medical and surgical wards (ACF). A previously validated multiple-choice questionnaire was adapted and administered to a purposive sample of 16 HPs. The questionnaire assessed respondents in three involvement aspects: level of involvement, management considerations, and OPD traits for bedside swallowing safety. Responses to the questionnaires were entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and then coded into quantitative values using appropriate scales. Frequencies, percentages, and means were used to summarize patterns in the dataset, while the independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare participants’ OPD involvement by their demographic and general characteristics. Tests of significance were at the 95% confidence level. Results: The majority (87.5%, n = 14) generally managed adult OPD inpatients, 75.0% (n = 12) had been in an OPD management team, and 81.3% (n = 13) referred inpatients with swallowing issues. The mean correctly matched management consideration items was 61.3% (SD = 17.08), showing moderate appropriate selection of OPD management considerations during practice. None of the selected demographic and general characteristics significantly influenced their choice of OPD management considerations (p > 0.05). On average, each participant matched 60.8% (SD = 16.12) of the bedside swallowing safety items correctly, suggesting that the sample had, on average, moderate appropriate considerations for bedside swallowing safety among OPD patients. None of these selected characteristics significantly influence the levels of bedside swallowing safety considerations among HPs. On a high positive, almost all HPs (93.8%, n = 15) demonstrated interest in further involvement in the care of OPD patients in their ACF. Recommendations: The hospital’s management should develop strategies to increase inter-professional collaboration among all HPs who should be involved in OPD management. Training programs to increase dysphagia awareness among the hospital’s HPs could help enhance their involvement in its management.