Dysphagia and Dysphonia Outcomes in SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection_v2 [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Dysphagia and Dysphonia Outcomes in SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19): A prospective observational cohort study.
IRAS ID
286664
Contact name
Ekpemi Irune
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 28 days
Research summary
Patients who have been discharged from the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) with COVID19 are often left with difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) and abnormal voice (dysphonia). These patients require rehabilitation.
Patients referred to our joint multidisciplinary team (with laryngologists and Speech & Language Therapists (SLT)) will be recruited to the study. They will be seen in the ward or in the joint out-patient mdt clinic.
They will undergo a Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallow (FEES) - a short procedure where a camera is passed through the nose into the throat and the patients swallow is assessed while they swallow varying food and drink consistencies; Their assessment on voice and swallow will be documented using the scale on several tools in the clinical notes and also in their CRF. Patients will undergo this evaluation according to a time table for 12 months. They will also be asked to complete a questionnaire to elicit the impact of dysphagia and dysphonia on their quality of life. This will be on three occasions only during the 12 months.
In order to deliver a robust rehabilitation service to these patients, we have set up a joint multidisciplinary clinic with a framework of diagnostic tools and interventional strategies. We will use virtual consultation sanctioned by the NHS Trust to facilitate and reinforce rehabilitation. This is to enable consultations where patients can experience visual demonstrations of their rehabilitation without the obstructive nature of PPE (such as masks and face shields). Patient progress will be tracked for the first 12 months. All of these interventions will amount to standard of care delivered by the new joint clinic. This study will run in parallel with the joint clinic to ensure protocols are adhered to and outcomes are tracked and measured while keeping the patient firmly at the centre of their care.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NW/0333
Date of REC Opinion
11 Sep 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion