Objective: Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is a swallowing disorder. Its management aims to prevent biomedical and psychosocial consequences for the patient and their informal caregiver (ICG). Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) represents a promising approach to this end, paradoxically suffering from a lack of development. The objective of the thesis is to contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of a TPE tool that we have named “SOS Dysphagia”.
Material and Method: Four exploratory steps were conducted targeting dysphagia patients, ICGs and healthcare professionals (HCP) in Lebanon: (1) a scoping review to identify educational interventions for this population; (2) a Delphi study to obtain a consensus on the pedagogical objectives of an educational tool; (3) a focus group targeting tool engineering; and (4) a feasibility and acceptability study.
Results: The scoping review noted the lack of scientific evidence regarding the components of a TPE for OD patients. The Delphi study led to a series of 23 objectives organized in 13 themes. The focus group resulted in the “SOS Dysphagia” engineering, composed of 6 educational activity sheets as a first step. The feasibility and acceptability study demonstrated that this format and its appropriation by HCPs contributes to the development of an educational posture.
Conclusion: The implication of patients, ICGs and HCPs allows us to conclude that “SOS Dysphagia” is a beneficial and relevant tool in terms of acceptability and feasibility for managing OD.