Factors that influence development of speech pathology skills required for videofluoroscopic swallowing studies.

What is already known on the subject The existing literature suggests that noviceVideofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) analysts training may be influencedby their personal characteristics and experience. What this study adds This study found that student clinicians. clinical exposureto dysphagia cases and their ability to identify anatomical landmarks relevantto swallowing on still radiographic images prior to training best predictedtheir ability to identify swallowing impairments after training. What are theclinical implications of this work? Given the expense of training health professionals, furtherresearch is required into the factors that successfully prepare clinicians forVFSS training, including clinical exposure, foundational knowledge of anatomyrelevant to swallowing and the ability to identify the anatomical landmarks onstill radiographic images.