Evidence-based systematic review: Oropharyngeal dysphagia behavioral treatments.Part I-Background and methodology

摘要

Evidencebased systematic reviews (EBSRs), in conjunction with clinical expertise and client values, are invaluable tools for speechlanguage pathologists and audiologists. This article provides an overview of the levelsofevidence scheme used by the American SpeechLanguageHearing Association (ASHA) to conduct systematic reviews. The goal of ASHA reviews is to provide a tool to help clinicians determine the best treatment course for their clients. We present a collaborative project between ASHA's National Center for Evidencebased Practice in Communication Disorders and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that examined seven behavioral swallowing treatments for disordered and nondisordered populations. The methodology used in a series of reviews conducted by ASHA and the VA will be discussed, including the development of clinical questions, search parameters, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and literature search results. Findings from the series of reviews as well as the practical applications of EBSRs will be reported in subsequent articles in this series.