Miss Remy Funch1, Miss Chaerim Kim1
1West Moreton Health, Ipswich, Australia
Biography:
Remy Funch is a Speech Pathologist at Ipswich Hospital. Remy’s commitment to patient-centred approaches sees her consistently engage with the multidisciplinary team to ensure the provision of interventions that meet individual needs. Her expertise in communication and swallowing disorders ensures effective outcomes, promoting collaboration and optimal patient care. By utilising evidence-based practice protocols to provide high-quality services, Remy combines research-driven methods with holistic care and remains dedicated to fostering and enhancing patient safety and satisfaction.
Abstract:
Previously, Ipswich Hospital patients with dysphagia (swallow impairment) requiring thickened fluids were unable to safely receive routine laxatives due to their interference with the thickened fluids’ viscosity. In July 2024, the West Moreton Health Speech Pathology department implemented a quality improvement project that aimed to provide laxatives, hand-thickened by nursing staff, to dysphagic patients. Primarily, this project aimed to determine whether there were improvements in patient care and safety and staff satisfaction.
A pre-post study design was used, and data were analysed utilising descriptive statistics. Pre- and one-month-post questionnaires were conducted with multidisciplinary team members (nursing, pharmacy, medicine, speech pathology) to develop thickened laxatives guidelines, guide nursing education sessions, and determine staff satisfaction. Charts were audited to monitor constipation management. RiskMan data over an eight-month period was analysed to determine patient safety.
Data analysis identified benefits of hand-thickened laxatives, including increased staff satisfaction (100% of nursing staff identified improved satisfaction) and improved patient care (100% of patients avoided more invasive options, i.e., enema). RiskMan data indicated nil adverse events with thickened laxatives implementation.
The outcomes support and inform the safe use of instant thickeners as an ongoing option for dysphagic patients on thickened fluids and are highly relevant for other health services seeking to implement safe provision of routine laxatives for these patients. By incorporating thickened laxatives within routine patient care, dysphagic patients can access commonly prescribed and well-tolerated treatment for constipation for optimal care. The findings could contribute to the development of additional processes with other routinely used medications.