The impact of developing a speech and swallow rehab program: Improving patient satisfaction and multidisciplinary care

Objectives/Hypothesis The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of developing an integrated head and neck cancer speech and swallowing rehabilitation program on physician/team focus on functional outcomes. Study Design Prospective cross‐sectional design. Methods Surveys regarding physician behavior and patient satisfaction with speech and swallowing were administered in an academic oncology practice prior to and 1 year following establishment of a dedicated head and neck speech and swallowing rehabilitation program. Participants included new and established head and neck cancer patients recruited consecutively. The primary outcome was physician behavior regarding speech and swallowing outcomes (as measured by discussion of function, providing suggestions regarding function, and referral to speech‐language pathology services). Results A total of 199 surveys were returned at the first time point and 271 at the second. Demographic variables were comparable between the two groups. The later cohort was more likely to report team discussion and suggestions regarding speech and swallowing function than the former (P