UCLan was the venue as the Advancing Dysphagia Practice (ADP) team hosted its CPD event – ‘Is patient experience paramount? Managing complexity in dysphagia – inter-professional perspectives.’
Around 120 delegates were in attendance as speakers from a variety of related areas of interest delivered presentations and took part in Question & Answer sessions.
ADP Co-Directors Dr Hazel Roddam and Hannah Crawford opened the event by introducing UCLan Distinguished Visitor Dr Paula Leslie from the University of Pittsburgh.
The morning line-up was completed by Dr Heulwen Sheldrick of Bridgewater Community Trust and Dr Claude Regnard from St Oswald’s Hospice, Newcastle.
Dr Kate Reid, Head of Speech and Language Therapy at University Hospital, Birmingham, got the afternoon session underway, with Lindsey Collins (University of Bradford), Christian DeGoede (Royal Preston Hospital) and Helen Baxter (Tessellates Innovation Ltd) completing proceedings.
The ADP team would like to thank everyone who attended this excellent event. To view a selection of images from the day please click here.
The team also hosted their first ever international conference at UCLan Cyprus in 2015.
A panel of prestigious international speakers discussed topical professional issues, including values-based decision making in complex cases, ethical decision making and risk management, and outcome measurement differences between research and practice.
The panel also offered updates on the latest research news for specified clinical populations.
Keynote Speakers included Professor Leslie, Dr Kate Reid, Dr Roddam and Dr Emilia Michou, University of Manchester.
The programme incorporated chaired Question & Answer sessions with the presenters, allowing all audience members to participate fully in the event.
The second day included a choice of interactive workshops for in-depth discussion of specified topics – professional issues and clinical-population specific, led by the presenters. The event closed with workshop feedback and a final keynote address.
To view Dr Roddam’s presentation slides please click here.
Advancing Dysphagia Practice (#ADP_2016) conference
The Advancing Dysphagia Practice (#ADP_2016) conference took place on the 23rd and 24th June. To view the full programme please click here.
We were joined by a wide range of delegates from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds including SLTs, OTs, Radiographers and Nurses.
Over the two days a total of 126 delegates took part in the talks, workshops and lively debates, with a further 11 joining via a live video link up from Belfast.
The event allowed for networking and discussion amongst peers as well as time to reflect on current practice.
Day 1 featured an exciting programme of speakers and lively debate on the topical issue of the research evidence based on the use of thickeners, while there were a series of optional workshops on the second day 2.
We were delighted to have once again secured prestigious speakers who all have an international reputation – these included:
Dr Heulwen Sheldrick, Clinical Lead (Specialist Services) and Specialist SLT, Bridgewater Community NHS Trust
Dr Sheldrick spoke about ‘Keeping the client at the centre of what you do’ and asked you to reflect on how effective you are when you try to empower others in decision making about their health?
The presentation explored how clinicians can tangibly adjust their style of approach, influence commissioning and create systems to encourage greater control for clients.
Dr David Hamilton, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer, Newcastle University
Dr Hamilton presented about ‘The challenges of involving patients in complex team decisions’.
In this talk, the working of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) was critically analysed: data was presented from an ethnographic study of the MDT in three head and neck cancer treatment centres and various studies of decision making in head and neck cancer.
Through the course of the talk, we discussed how although an assessment of which treatment is considered ‘best’ drives the MDT discussion, there is often disagreement or uncertainty surrounding this assessment.
Dr Hannah Crawford, Consultant Speech and Language Therapist, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Crawford presented on ‘Understanding of the lived experiences of dysphagia from the perspective of family carers’.
This session described a study that aimed to develop an understanding of the lived experiences of profound intellectual and multiple disabilities and dysphagia from the perspective of family carers. Day 1 also featured a debate entitled ‘Thickeners are an effective tool in the management of Dysphagia’.
This debate addressed the topic of the current evidence base for the widespread use of texture modification of foods and fluids in the management of dysphagia.
Thickening fluids have long been considered a core tool of the SLT and a cornerstone of dysphagia treatment and management.
However the literature suggests that commercial thickeners have come under increasing scrutiny as to its potential benefits and risks.
The session was a debate of the statement: “Commercial thickeners are an effective tool in the management of dysphagia” with guest speakers arguing for or against the statement.
Delegates were asked to give their answer to this question (yes/no/not sure) at the time of registration and after the debate to gauge any general change of opinion.
The guest speakers involved in the debate were:
Tracy Lazenby-Paterson, Specialist Speech & Language Therapist NHS Lothian
Tracy is a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist working with adults with learning disabilities (ALD).
She has developed and lectured on a range of specialist undergraduate and postgraduate courses in dysphagia, including the MMU Advanced Clinical Practice in Dysphagia course and the UCLan Advancing Dysphagia Practice courses.
Tracy is interested in current literature about the use texture modification of foods and fluids in the management of dysphagia, and how it influences changes to SLT practice.
Karen Krawcyzk, Specialist Speech & Language Therapist, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Karen has held advisory, clinical and managerial roles in the management of Adult neurological dysphagia and has taught at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
She has taught on the Advanced Dysphagia Course at Manchester Metropolitan University for over 12 years and also had the role of External Examiner for three years.
Thank you to everyone who attended and to all the presenters who gave up their time to take part in the event.
Please feel free to browse our previous events:
April 2013
June 2013
October 2013
May 2014
September 2015
July 2017
June 2018