Clinical trial NCT00570557: Development of a Web-Based Course to Maintain Skills in Nurses Trained to Screen for Dysphagia
Official title: Development of a Web-Based Course to Maintain Skills in Nurses Trained to Screen for Dysphagia
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Deglutition Disorders
Dysphagia
Stroke
Keywords: Skill Maintenance
Skill Decay
Screening
Lead sponsor: University Health Network, Toronto
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
First posted: 2007-12-11
Enrollment: 96
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This research aims to facilitate the successful implementation of the new Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario dysphagia screening model for acute stroke patients. The objectives will be 1) to determine the natural history of dysphagia screening skill decay, and 2) to assess the benefit of independent web-based practice and periodic feedback on screening skill maintenance. We will enrol a convenience sample of nurses who currently work with stroke patients but who have had no prior formal training with dysphagia screening.

The study will consist of 2 phases: A) an initial pilot phase followed by B) a prospective randomized controlled study. During Phase A, three new web-based, self-instructed skill refresher courses will be developed to help nurses maintain the skills they will learn in an 8-hour workshop on dysphagia screening. During Phase B, nurses will receive the 8-hour workshop and one-on-one evaluation by a speech-language pathologist (SLP). Following training, competent screeners will be randomized into one of two groups: Group A - Control group with no refresher course or periodic feedback from SLP; Group B - Web-based skill refresher courses only. Nurses will be evaluated at several timepoints throughout Phase B to assess theoretical dysphagia screening knowledge and skills.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Nurses who care for acute stroke patients

Primary outcomes:
measure: Skill decay over time among nurses trained to use the TOR-BSST© to screen for dysphagia in stroke patients
timeFrame: 1 year
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Binghamton
country: United States
facility: Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital
state: New York
city: Calgary
country: Canada
facility: Foothills Hospital
state: Alberta
city: Edmonton
country: Canada
facility: Alberta Health Services - Capital Health (University of Alberta Hospital, Royal Alexandra Hospital)
state: Alberta
city: Penetanguishene/Midland
country: Canada
facility: Georgian Bay General Hospital
state: Ontario
city: Toronto
country: Canada
facility: University Health Network - Toronto Western Hospital
state: Ontario
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Toronto, Dept. of Speech Language Pathology
name: Rosemary Martino, MA, MSc, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Martino R, Foley N, Bhogal S, Diamant N, Speechley M, Teasell R. Dysphagia after stroke: incidence, diagnosis, and pulmonary complications. Stroke. 2005 Dec;36(12):2756-63. doi: 10.1161/01.STR.0000190056.76543.eb. Epub 2005 Nov 3.
citation: Martino R, Pron G, Diamant N. Screening for oropharyngeal dysphagia in stroke: insufficient evidence for guidelines. Dysphagia. 2000 Winter;15(1):19-30. doi: 10.1007/s004559910006.
citation: Martino R, Silver F, Teasell R, Bayley M, Nicholson G, Streiner DL, Diamant NE. The Toronto Bedside Swallowing Screening Test (TOR-BSST): development and validation of a dysphagia screening tool for patients with stroke. Stroke. 2009 Feb;40(2):555-61. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.107.510370. Epub 2008 Dec 12.