ABSTRACT NUMBER: ESOC2026A2012 VIRTUAL SWALLOWING DIAGNOSTICS IN ACUTE CARE FOR STROKE PATIENTS (VISDA) – A FEASIBILITY STUDY

Abstract Background and aims Dysphagia affects up to 42% of patients in the acute phase after stroke and is associated with an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and dehydration. Early clinical swallowing assessment (CSA) by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) is essential, but limited SLP availability in rural regions restricts timely access to care. The ViSDA study evaluates whether telemedical CSA is a safe, feasible, and diagnostically reliable alternative to in-person assessment. Methods ViSDA is a single-centre, randomised feasibility study conducted at the stroke unit of München Klinik Harlaching, Germany. Thirty adult patients with ischaemic stroke or intracerebral haemorrhage and suspected dysphagia underwent two standardised CSAs—one in person and one via telemedicine—within four hours in randomised order. Assessments followed validated protocols. In-person and tele-SLPs were blinded. Therapeutic recommendations, safety outcomes, and satisfaction were recorded. Results Thirty patients were included (mean age 74.4 ± 16.6 years; mean NIHSS 6.8 ± 6.4). Twenty-nine of 30 tele-CSAs (97%) were successfully completed. No emergency events occurred. Tele-assessments were shorter than in-person examinations. Strict agreement between telemedicine and in-person assessments was 73.3% for dietary texture and 70.0% for fluid consistency recommendations, increasing to 76.7% and 80.0% using adjusted criteria. Four patients developed aspiration pneumonia within 72 hours; all cases were present at hospital admission. Satisfaction among participants was high; 79% of patients would reuse and recommend telemedical CSA. Conclusions Telemedical CSA in acute stroke patients is feasible, safe, and demonstrates high agreement with in-person assessment, supporting its use to improve access to dysphagia diagnostics in settings with limited SLP availability. Conflict of interest Name of author: nothing to disclose