DIGEST™ Training Program for Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies

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ONLINE

Sunday, April 24, 2022, 8:00 AM - Sunday, December 31, 2023, 5:00 PM

Please Note:  Continuing Education Credit is no longer available for this course.

The DIGEST training is now available online! This virtual course uses self-study of a written training manual and four webinars over 6 months to train clinical raters to use DIGEST™ to grade the results of the modified barium swallow study or videofluoroscopic evaluation of swallowing.

Training manual topics include:

• Rating of the core components (laryngeal penetration/aspiration and pharyngeal residue)
• Operating definitions for the DIGEST tool

Example scenarios are provided to apply concepts to real-world clinical practice. Webinars will include live examples of video rating and review of key concepts in the training manual.

Your registration ($199) will include:

• DIGEST manual self-study course
• Recordings of the lived webinars and available for viewing
  

You must first complete the pre-test and self-study of the training manual, then pass the post-test with a score of 90% or higher to receive your training certificate. The manual, and pre/post tests can be found in the View Content section of the course page.

Learning Outcomes:

The learner will use DIGEST to reproducibly grade dysphagia severity from the modified barium swallow study (videofluoroscopy), specifically to: 

1. Apply DIGEST criteria in decision tree accurately

2. Rate laryngeal penetration/aspiration and pharyngeal residue according to DIGEST operating definitions

3. Apply penetration/aspiration and residue modifiers and decision tree to derive safety and efficiency grades

4. Apply DIGEST criteria accurately in setting of skipped bolus trials and compensatory strategies

Time Ordered Agenda (Self-Study): 
15 minutes- Written pre-test 
90 minutes-  Self-study of written manual 
15 minutes-  Written post-test  

Time Ordered Agenda (Webinars):
60 minutes- Key Components DIGEST Rating with Live Rating Examples
30 minutes- Participant Q&A

View the accessibility policy for The University of Texas M.D Anderson Cancer Center.

 

The registration form for this activity is currently unavailable.

Disclosure: Dr. Hutcheson has the following financial relationship or relationship affiliations to disclose: She is employed by MD Anderson Cancer Center and receives a salary. She receives research grants or contracts from the National Institutes of Health, Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Thrive Foundation, Atos Medical, The MD Anderson Institutional Research Grant Program, and the Charles and Daneen Stiefel Oropharynx Fund, and is the developer of the DIGEST methodology. She has no relevant non-financial relationships to disclose.   

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers or others are required to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.