Technology, research and responsibility in dysphagia rehabilitation  

With Swallowing Awareness Day approaching, Dr Jacqui Benfield, a senior research fellow at University of Nottingham and Clinical Lead for Stroke SLT in Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, shares her latest research findings in swallow strength and skill training with surface electromyographic biofeedback in stroke patients. 

I’ve just returned from the UK Swallowing Research Group Conference in Birmingham, where the many ways technology is being used in dysphagia management was on full display. From AI and machine learning tools designed to speed up screening and assessment, to new assessment and rehabilitation devices, and digital platforms for intervention planning and monitoring, technology is increasingly embedded in our practice. As a clinical academic SLT, both my clinical and research priorities focus on helping people with dysphagia after experiencing a stroke, to eat and drink what they want. I am particularly motivated by strengthening the evidence base for dysphagia rehabilitation.

Exploring biofeedback in post-stroke dysphagia 

My current research explores how biofeedback can support people with post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) by enhancing behavioural interventions, including strength and skill-based exercises. Biofeedback technologies have been shown to help patients perform exercises more accurately as well as supporting clinicians to provide more informed, constructive feedback. Early research from my group and others suggests that the use of biofeedback may improve swallowing outcomes. However, larger trials are needed to determine whether it outperforms current practice. 

Our research group at the University of Nottingham is investigating whether intensive, repetitive swallow strength exercises and timing control tasks, supported by surface electromyography biofeedback, are suitable for people in the early stages after stroke.

Working alongside individuals with PSD, we refined an earlier version of the intervention to ensure it met their needs. We then conducted a randomised controlled trial to examine whether SLTs and assistants could feasibly deliver the intervention in inpatient stroke units, and to help identify the optimum intervention dose. 

Our findings suggest that the intervention may be feasible only for a smaller subgroup of patients. The process, however, has deepened our understanding of early poststroke dysphagia rehabilitation and highlighted the adaptations required to make interventions accessible to wide range of patients. 

The bigger research picture  

Research in this area is expanding each year. However, many trials remain small with variable quality, making it difficult to determine which interventions should be delivered to whom and when, as well as at what intensity.  

Encouragingly, larger and more robust trials are starting to emerge. I am fortunate to be the trial SLT for the PhEAST trial, which is evaluating pharyngeal electrical stimulation in poststroke dysphagia. Numerous SLT principal investigators across the UK are leading local delivery, contributing to the recruitment of more than 500 participants so far. With just over six months of recruitment remaining, we hope to see the results in just over a year. 

Innovation and responsibility  

If you have innovative ideas or an interest in research, now is an excellent time to get involved in this area of practice. Increasingly, there are opportunities to support both SLTs and researchers in developing new technologies for dysphagia rehabilitation and to strengthen the evidence base for existing ones. Many NHS trusts and universities host events that bring together clinicians and engineers from academia and industry to co-design solutions for improving healthcare.  

Funding is available from bodies such as the National Institute for Health Research and the Medical Research Council, supporting everything from proof-of-concept testing to largescale trials.  

Crucially, people with lived experience of PSD must be involved throughout design and evaluation to make sure these technologies meet their needs. As SLTs, we are skilled advocates for patient voices, and that advocacy must extend into research and innovation. 

We also have a significant responsibility to ensure that the interventions we recommend are both safe and effective. It can be helpful to think of our therapeutic interventions as prescriptions. If we were doctors, we would not prescribe medications that had not been properly tested for safety and efficacy.

Looking ahead  

Technology and innovation in dysphagia rehabilitation are advancing at an exciting pace, offering new possibilities for assessment and intervention. However, progress must go hand in hand with responsibility. By continuing to collaborate, question, test, and champion rigorous research, we can help shape a future where evidence based technological innovation genuinely enhances the lives of those living with dysphagia.

Swallowing Awareness Day  18 March 

Swallowing Awareness Day 2026

Join the RCSLT webinar on 2 March to explore current advances in dysphagia research and discuss how we can collectively strengthen the evidence base for practice.   

We have created a collection of materials to help you take part in and support swallowing awareness day. Remember to share your events with us on social media. 

Swallowing Awareness Day is just one of the ways the RCSLT encourages our members to come together to create community and advocate for each other and the important role of speech and language therapy. Find out more about the benefits of becoming an RCSLT member, visit our membership webpage.