Dysphagia is estimated to affect 8% of the general population in the world. Texture modified foods and thickened drinks (i.e. Care Food) are commonly used in the management of patients with dysphagia. The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) was founded with the mission to set up a common language and system of practical and valid measurement techniques for naming and describing food texture and drink thickness. The IDDSI framework consists of a continuum of 8 levels (level 0-7). Drinks are categorized into level 0-4 while foods are categorized into level 3-7. In Hong Kong, more NGOs and Residential Care Home for Elderly are adopting IDDSI for the desired food texture to their clients. Hospital Authority (HA) has adopted the IDDSI framework for drinks since July 2021 while patient’s food provision is using Dietetic Catering Management System (DCMS). In order to enhance the communication between healthcare professionals, caregivers and the community, Kowloon East Cluster (KEC) started the pilot of matching DCMS and IDDSI for patient’s food in 2023. In our talk, we will share how catering colleagues, speech therapists and dietitians worked together to achieve the goal, the challenges that we encountered and how the obstacles could be overcome. Also, we will share the experience of using different methods to enhance the oral intake of our patients (e.g. moulded food for patients taking pureed diets, colorful utensil).
