Dysphagia care is where your department can raise its game
Swallowing problems cost patients and facilities, and strong dysphagia care changes that. VitalStim training is a great way to build it.
Dysphagia keeps patients longer and costs more
When a patient cannot swallow safely, the whole stay gets harder. A large study of U.S. hospital admissions found that patients with dysphagia stayed about 40% longer than patients without it, and estimated the cost at nearly $550 million over two years.
Facilities that treat swallowing problems well give their patients a better chance at a shorter, safer stay.
Safer swallowing, and a return to meals
Fewer complications
In stroke patients, early swallowing screening is linked to a lower risk of pneumonia (odds ratio 0.57). Source: Sherman et al., Journal of the American Heart Association, 2021.
Back to meals
The goal of swallowing therapy is for patients to eat and drink safely and, where possible, return to the foods and meals they enjoy.
Trust from families
Families want to know a loved one is being fed safely. A department known for strong dysphagia care earns that trust.
Give your therapists another tool
VitalStim Therapy pairs electrical stimulation with traditional swallowing exercises. Your speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists can learn it through CIAO Seminars, which has trained over 30,000 VitalStim providers since 2003.
Talk with CIAO Seminars
Tell us about your department and your therapists, and we will talk with you about what VitalStim training could look like for your team.