Table 2.
The clinical practice of dysphagia clinics before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 23)
| Working conditions | Before COVID-19 | Pandemic period | Normalization period | p | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Normal | 23 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | < 0.01 |
| In shifts | 0 | 0 | 15 | 65.2 | 23 | 100 | |
| Remotely | 0 | 0 | 5 | 21.7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Closed | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13.1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Number of patients | |||||||
| 0–10 patients | 3 | 13.0 | 11 | 47.8 | 3 | 13.0 | 0.005 |
| 11–20 patients | 7 | 30.4 | 5 | 21.7 | 12 | 52.2 | |
| 21–30 patients | 6 | 26.1 | 3 | 13.0 | 3 | 13.0 | |
| 31–40 patients | 1 | 4.3 | 1 | 4.3 | 1 | 4.3 | |
| Above 40 patients | 6 | 26.1 | 3 | 13.0 | 4 | 17.4 | |
| Evaluation types | |||||||
| Oral examination | 22 | 95.7 | 15 | 65.2 | 15 | 65.2 | 0.017 |
| Non-standardized clinical swallowing evaluation | 19 | 82.6 | 17 | 73.9 | 14 | 60.9 | 0.178 |
| Water swallowing test | 14 | 60.9 | 10 | 43.5 | 10 | 43.5 | 0.135 |
| Volume viscosity test | 9 | 39.1 | 6 | 26.1 | 8 | 34.8 | 0.247 |
| Screening tests (EAT-10) | 17 | 73.9 | 14 | 60.9 | 14 | 60.9 | 0.165 |
| Videofluoroscopic swallowing evaluation | 18 | 78.3 | 9 | 39.1 | 13 | 56.5 | 0.004 |
| Fiberoptic endoscopic swallowing evaluation | 18 | 78.3 | 9 | 39.1 | 14 | 60.9 | 0.013 |
| Pharyngoesophageal manometry | 6 | 26.1 | 1 | 4.3 | 5 | 21.7 | < 0.01 |
| Mean (SD) | Min-max | Mean (SD) | Min-max | Mean (SD) | Min-max | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total evaluation number | 5.34 (1.49) | 3–8 | 3.52 (2.01) | 0–7 | 4.04 (2.83) | 0–8 | 0.01 |