Season 1
Here you can find all the episodes of our first season with health care professionals.
Highlights
- Podcast
- - 19/01/2022
Listen: MDT & Dysphagia Management with speech therapist Sandra Robinson & dietitian Caroline Hill
Information for Healthcare Professional Use only
In this episode of the Inside Medical Nutrition podcast, Dr. Linia Patel hosts a discussion with Sandra Robinson, a speech and language therapist, and Caroline Hill, a dietitian, about the importance of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach in managing patients with dysphagia.
The discussion begins by defining the different types of teamwork: multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary. The guests emphasise the value of an interdisciplinary approach (IDT), where team members actively collaborate and communicate to provide coordinated care. They contrast this with a multidisciplinary approach, where professionals work independently with less interaction.
The podcast highlights the diverse members of an MDT, including physicians, nurses, therapists, assistants, chefs, and, importantly, the patients and their families. They discuss how MDTs function in primary care and the role of specialist nurses in bridging communication gaps.
The conversation explores the impact of COVID-19 on dysphagia management, particularly the increased reliance on telehealth. While telehealth offers benefits, it also presents challenges, such as ensuring patient safety, relying on facilitators, and addressing communication barriers. Best practices for virtual consultations include being prepared with technology, supporting patients and facilitators, and setting clear expectations.
The guests stress the importance of ongoing education and awareness of dysphagia, suggesting that speech and language therapy training should begin at the undergraduate level. They also propose considering a title like "dysphagia practitioner" to better reflect the scope of practice.
33:58
Latest episodes
- Podcast
- - 11/01/2022
Supporting tube fed blended diets with a multi-disciplinary team approach
Once the decision has been made to start a child on a blended diet, it’s never the dietitian alone who is responsible for supporting this. The entire multi-disciplinary team needs to be aligned and working closely together to help support this patient. Harriet Farr talks us through the role of the MDT in supporting blended diets and how this is best structured, communicated and monitored.
Information for Healthcare Professional Use Only
- Podcast
- - 04/01/2022
Listen: Blended Diets in School with paediatric dietitian Carol Baguley
Information for Healthcare Professional Use only
In this episode of the Inside Medical Nutrition podcast, Dr. Linia Patel interviews Carol Baguley, a paediatric dietitian, about managing blended diets in a school setting. Carol shares her journey from South Africa to becoming a specialist in paediatric nutrition in the UK.
Carol's current role involves providing optimal nutrition to children with neuro disabilities at a specialist school. She manages a caseload of around 80 children, many of whom are home enteral feeding (HEF) dependent, with a significant portion also consuming blended diets.
The conversation highlights the practicalities of managing blended diets in schools, including food preparation, storage, and hygiene. Carol emphasises the importance of a blended diet policy, which is followed meticulously. Staff training is crucial, with school nurses playing a key role in educating carers and parents.
The discussion touches on the importance of individualising blended diets and considering factors like texture and nutrient content. Carol also mentions the use of fortified foods and specialised plant-based alternatives creams to enhance nutritional value. Consideration is also given to the care of feeding tubes for those individuals receiving a blended diet.
Carol encourages listeners to consult the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for further information. She concludes by emphasising the positive impact of blended diets on children's well-being and the importance of a collaborative approach to care.
- Podcast
- - 14/12/2021
Information for healthcare professional use only
In this episode of the Inside Medical Nutrition Podcast, Dr. Linia Patel discusses the tolerance of blended diets with experts Lucy Jackman, a paediatric dietitian, and Dr. Graham O'Connor, a research lead for dietetics, both from Great Ormond Children's Hospital.
The conversation begins with the experts sharing their backgrounds and their journey into dietetics. The discussion then shifts to the increasing use of blended diets, which are household foods blended into a liquid form for tube feeding. Parents are increasingly drawn to blended diets due to a desire for natural food and the feeling of fulfilling their role as caregivers.
The experts address concerns about blended diets, including tube blockages, nutritional adequacy, and food hygiene. Research suggests that in practice, these concerns are not significantly different compared to commercial formulas. Key considerations for blended diets include using appropriate tube sizes, avoiding nasogastric (NG) tubes, ensuring proper consistency, and maintaining food safety standards.
The podcast explores the role of food-derived ingredient formulas as a middle ground between blended diets and commercial formulas. The speakers share their experience of using these formulas and how they can be particularly useful in hospital settings where providing fresh blenderised food is challenging. They also offer a way to control electrolytes and provide fibre, which is beneficial for gut health, both of which is particularly important in intensive care patients.
- Podcast
- - 07/12/2021
Listen: Blended Tube Fed Diet Tips for Children with Paediatric Dietitian Catherine Fogarty
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In this episode of the Inside Medical Nutrition Podcast, Dr. Linia Patel interviews Catherine Fogarty, a paediatric dietitian, about managing a tube-fed blended diet caseload. Cath shares her journey from being a chef to a dietitian, highlighting her passion for food and nutrition. She currently manages a caseload of 100 tube-fed children, with approximately 15% on blended diets.
Cath discusses the evolution of blended diet acceptance, noting the positive impact of the British Dietetic Association's policy statement in 2019. She emphasises the importance of a collaborative approach with parents, involving them in the decision-making process and providing education on food safety, preparation, and nutritional adequacy.
She outlines the challenges of managing a blended diet caseload, particularly with children who have neurological impairments or food aversions. Cath emphasises the need for a holistic approach, considering factors beyond the feed itself, such as the gut-brain axis and the child's social environment.
Cath shares strategies for managing her time, including prioritising urgent cases, utilising virtual consultations, and seeking support from colleagues and professional organisations like DISC (Dietitians Interested in Special Children). She stresses the importance of starting slowly with blended diets, treating it like weaning, and empowering parents to make informed choices.
- Podcast
- - 01/12/2021
An Introduction to Tube Fed Blended Diets
Clare Thornton-Wood shares her experience of supporting children with blended diets and discusses why they are becoming more popular amongst parents and carers. Why are they preferred by some parents? How do they benefit the children and the family? And how can dietitians themselves ensure they are set up to support parents wishing to start a blended diet? Clare also talks through what the BDA has to say about blended diets with a look at their latest policy statement.
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- Podcast
- - 28/10/2021
Tune in and discover what’s in store in the first series of Inside Medical Nutrition, a podcast powered by Nestlé Health Science.
Information for Healthcare Professional Use Only