NCEPOD report - Dysphagia in Parkinson’s Disease (12 August 2021)

Summary

This NCEPOD report looks at the quality of care provided to patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) aged 16 years and over who were admitted to hospital when acutely unwell. It highlights the findings of a review into the pathway of care for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) which explored multidisciplinary care and organisational factors in the process of identifying, screening, assessing, treating and monitoring their ability to swallow.

You can view and download the following diagrams related to the report:

• Full report
• Summary report
• Summary sheet
• Recommendation checklist  
• Infographic
• Slide set
• Commissioners' guide
• Fishbone diagram
• Recommendations
• Audit toolkit

Content

Key messages

1. Document the swallow status of all patients with PD at the point of referral to hospital
2. Screen patients with PD for swallowing difficulties at admission
3. Refer patients with PD who have swallowing difficulties (or who have problems with communication) to speech and language therapy
4. Notify the specialist PD service (hospital and/or community) when a patient with PD is admitted, if there is any indication from the notes, or following discussion with the patient or their relatives/carers, that there has been a deterioration or progression of their clinical state
5. Provide written information at discharge on how to manage swallowing difficulties