[DYSPHAGIA] Radiologist @ MBS

[eripley@yahoo.com (Irene Campbell-Taylor)]

--- Lindsey McLean <LMCLEAN@sbgh.mb.ca> wrote:
take a stand
> and say the studies will not get done if there is no
> radiologist, or get another MD to talk to them.  I
> don't know....any other solutions to this problem
> when it becomes not radiologist-specific but
> region-wide?

It's a wider problem than that, I think. Over the past
few years, the availability of VFSS has diminished as
has the number of trained radiologists. In my travels,
one overwhelming fact has struck me and that is the
widespread (and I mean in various parts of the world)
reduction in availability of fluoroscopic assessment
of swallowing. I predict that it will soon become the
exception rather than the rule.
The issue that hasn't been touched on is the skill and
training of the SLP or OT or other person interpreting
the examination. I've encountered an enormously wide
variation in skills and knowledge. Two heads are only
better than one if each knows what it's doing,
otherwise it's potential disaster, cubed.Simply having
a radiologist or other physician present is only
passing the buck of responsibility and not in the
patient's best interest if no-one is adequately
skilled.
As to the specific role of each member of the team,
how many of the list members would feel comfortable
about being able to spot epiglottic pseudomass,
sideropenic cervical web, superior vena cava syndrome,
retropharyngeal abscess, pharyngeal pseudotumor,
unilateral epiglottic failure and other relatively
common abnormalities? Before touching on the training
of radiologists, perhaps we need to take a closer look
at our own house and do a bit of cleaning.
Irene.

=====
www.dricampbell-taylor.com

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