After an immersive learning project : turning data into clinical practice

The treatment of neonatal dysphagia patients is hindered by the variability of dysphagia treatment. The use of various formulas, thickeners and liquid viscosities used during swallowing therapy perpetuate an uncontrolled clinical environment. During experiments conducted in an Immersive Learning course at Ball State University, students used viscometers and the IDDSI drip test to analyze the viscosities of several commonly used recipes designed to thicken infant formulas. Measurements were compared to Varibar Barium to determine the correlation with prescribed thickened liquids. I organized and analyzed the collected data to draw conclusions regarding clinical application and continued research in this area.