Dysphagia as a field is within its third decade. As part of the progress of any field, specialist terminology is developed to improve efficiencies of communication and remove ambiguity. The most commonly reported benefits of standardized terminology include improvements in patient safety, and enhanced inter and intra-professional communication. Indeed standardized terminology reaches further than clinical impact, providing research scientists with a common language for reporting research that will cyclically go on to have a clinical impact. Although there are many benefits to standardized terminology, there are also challenges and barriers. There are a number of areas where the field of dysphagia could benefit from standardized terminology. The focus of this paper is on one of the corner stones of dysphagia intervention, that of the language used to describe thickened liquids and texture modified foods. This paper outlines the benefits and challenges of standardization and describes the rationale for an international initiative to develop global definitions and terminology for texture modified foods and thickened liquids suitable across the age span, care settings, and cultures. Early involvement of all stakeholders and robust discussion is critical to the success of developing standardized terminology.
Determining the Impact of Thickened Liquids on Swallowing in Patients Undergoing Irradiation for Oropharynx Cancer