Dysphagia Awareness Among Physiatrists

ABS TRACT Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the awareness of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians regarding dysphagia, their perspectives on this condition, their roles in diagnosis and rehabilitation, and their levels of knowledge and clinical skills in dysphagia management.Material and Methods: A purpose-designed online questionnaire was developed by two PM&R specialists with more than 10 years of experience in dysphagia management.The questionnaire was pilot-tested on 15 residents, specialists, associate professors, and professors, and revised based on their feedback.The final version consisted of 17 questions covering demographic characteristics, awareness and knowledge of dysphagia, etiology, symptom frequency, diagnostic methods, and rehabilitation practices.Results: The majority of participants (n = 245, 71.8%) reported having advanced theoretical knowledge of dysphagia; however, practical knowledge was predominantly at a basic level (n = 191, 56%).Although most participants considered the training of PM&R physicians to be adequate, they emphasized the need for increased clinical practice during residency.Dysphagia was most frequently observed in patients with stroke (38.4%) and traumatic/hypoxic brain injury (29.3%).The most commonly affected phases were the oral (44.6%) and pharyngeal (39%) phases.A total of 92.7% of participants considered rehabilitation to be effective, particularly for oral and pharyngeal dysphagia, whereas it was reported to be ineffective for esophageal dysphagia.Conclusion: PM&R physicians possess sufficient theoretical knowledge of oropharyngeal dysphagia and play a significant role in its multidisciplinary management.Increasing hands-on clinical training during residency is recommended to enhance practical skills.Additionally, greater awareness of esophageal dysphagia is needed.