This site is intended only for the use of UK Healthcare Professionals

EAT-10 dysphagia screening tool

Dysphagia

08/04/2024

Objective: EAT-10 helps to measure swallowing difficulties. It may be important for you to talk with your physician about treatment options for symptoms.

EATING ASSESSMENT TOOL (EAT-10)

WHAT IS THE EAT-10?

The EAT-10 is an eating assessment tool which has 10 questions to help measure swallowing difficulties.
The EAT-10 can be completed in as little as 2 minutes.
The EAT-10 can help identify those at risk of dysphagia but is not a diagnostic tool.

HOW DO I USE THE EAT-10?

Answer each of the 10 questions.
Tally the total score.
The EAT-10 may also be used to observe changes in symptoms over time.

WHAT COMES AFTER THE EAT-10?

If the score is 3 or higher and/or you are concerned about your patient’s swallowing, they may need to be assessed for dysphagia.
You may need to refer your patient to a swallowing clinic, or to a speech language pathologist, occupational therapist or a registered dietitian who has training in dysphagia assessments to determine a diagnosis.

EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS TOOL
Since the original 2008 publication by Belafsky and colleagues¹ detailing the development of the EAT-10, there are over 180 publications with the EAT-10². These include:

Translation and validation studies of the EAT-10 tool ^3-5
Use of the EAT-10 across care settings in varied applications including:
Predicting aspiration risk ⁶
Documenting response to dysphagia treatment ⁷
Understanding dysphagia prevalence in different populations ^8,9

References

Belafsky PC et al. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 2008; ll7(l2):9l9-924.
Pub.Med.gov (accessed August 2021).
Moller R et al. Acta Otolaryngol. 2016;136(7): 749-53.
Demir N et al. Dysphagia, 2016; 31(5): 644-9.
Lechien J et al. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2019; 276(6):1727-1736.
Cheney DM et al. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 2015; 124(5): 351-4.
Sinn FS et al. Int J Speech Lang Pathol, 2020; 22(1): 78-85.
Igarashi K et al. PLoS One, 2019; 14(1): e0211040.
Yew AY et al. Spine, 2019; 44(2): E82-E88.

Objective: EAT-10 helps to measure swallowing difficulties. It may be important for you to talk with your physician about treatment options for symptoms.

Other content you might be interested in

Cooking with Confidence: Bolognese Sauce

A great option to up protein levels on a pasta dish, this Bolognese sauce recipe is suitable for IDDSI level 5 dysphagia patients.

Dysphagia, Aspiration & Infection – Including does aspiration pneumonia even exist?

Dysphagia, Aspiration & Infection – Including does aspiration pneumonia even exist? The View from a Speech and Language Therapist and Physiotherapist

Cooking with Confidence: Cauliflower and Broccoli Rice

Choosing appropriate side dishes for dysphagia patients can be challenging and mashed potato can get repetitive. Gary Brailsford shares tips on how to create rice alternatives with cauliflower and broccoli, adding both colour and vegetables on to the plate in a creative way. Suitable for IDDSI levels 4, 5 and 6.

Risk taking in Dysphagia Management

Nestlé Health Science is proud to host our next webinar ‘Risk taking in Dysphagia management: should we be bolder?’ This webinar aims to stimulate professional debate and progress practice in dysphagia management. An understanding of risk and risk-aversion is explored in the context of healthcare, how this relates to supporting patients with dysphagia by speech and language therapists and if a balance is being achieved in risk management, rehabilitation and quality of life.

Normal Swallowing Process

This animation shows what happens during the normal swallowing process, in a person who does not have dysphagia. It provides a detailed animation of the normal swallowing process, including a step-by-step explanation of each stage of swallowing and the role of key anatomical structures. Please feel free to use these in practice with patients and/or for internal training.

Managing MND the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Way – Nutrition & Swallowing

Presentation covers how a multidisciplinary team involving a speech and language therapist, dietitian, and a nurse work together to manage patients with Motor Neurone Disease who have swallowing difficulties.

Cognitive Feeding Behaviours and its Relation to Dysphagia

At the end of the presentation, you should have an understanding of the following questions: 1) What is cognitive dysphagia? 2) Where might you see cognitive dysphagia? 3) What are cognitive feeding behaviours? 4) What are some practical strategies on how to support those with cognitive feeding behaviours?

Cooking with Confidence: Celebration Cake

The perfect alternative to your traditional party cakes; whether it’s for a special gathering or a birthday, the celebration cake is a great way to make sure your dysphagia patients can be included. Watch now for a step-by-step guide on how to deliver this decadent dessert.

The Hydration Status of Adult Patients with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia and the Effect of Thickened Fluid Therapy on Fluid Intake and Hydration: Results of Two Parallel Systematic and Scoping Reviews

In this video we will view the summary results of a systemic review paper by Vinas and colleagues entitled “The hydration status of adult patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia and the effect of thickened fluid therapy on fluid intake and hydration: Results of two parallel systematic and scoping reviews”.

County wide change from predominantly starch-based thickeners to Resource ThickenUp Clear

Introduction Prescribed thickeners are used to thicken fluids to a more viscose consistency than normal, because drinking thicker fluids has long been thought to reduce the risk of aspiration for people with dysphagia. A recent systematic review has identified that thickening liquids can reduce risk of aspiration.1 Many older people live with dysphagia, and a recent review study2 fou...

Sensitivity and Specificity of the Eating Assessment Tool and the Volume-Viscosity Swallow Test for Clinical Evaluation of Oropharyngeal Dysphagia

Rofes L, Arreola V, Mukherjee R, Clavé P Neurogastroenterol Motil 2014 Sep;26:1256-65. Aim: To re-validate the accuracy of the Volume-Viscosity Swallow Test (V-VST) for Clinical Assessment by using a new thickening agent with an exclusive formula (ThickenUp® Clear) on 120 patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia associated with age and neurological pathology. Results: The study sh...

Dysphagia Safety Briefing: Managing Dysphagia Through a Texture Modified Diet

Take the quiz