Improving Interdisciplinary Skills Training for Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)

The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) added fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) to the scope of practice for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in 2001. In January 2021, ASHA created a revisional tutorial on clinical competency training for FEES. However, a national training protocol for FEES practice still does not yet exist. There is limited literature about SLPs and their attitudes regarding any specific training for FEES or learning opportunities for FEES, particularly any conducted with mentorship in communities of practice, often used by physicians in endoscopic training. SLPs may benefit from reviewing the training models in place within physician learning communities to transfer to SLP practice, just as the SLP profession has borrowed the direct and hands-on endoscopic skills for FEES from physician practices.