IDDSI? An Expert Dietitian Gets You Started
By Margaret Roche, MS, RD, CSG, FAND
In my 30 years of working with therapeutic diets, the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative, or IDDSI is the most significant and far-reaching change I have seen.
At first glance, it seems like a straightforward adjustment to texture-modified foods and thickened liquids, but in fact, it requires a coordinated, interdisciplinary effort. When IDDSI is well implemented, it will save time, and money and most importantly, provide safer care. It is well worth the effort. Since IDDSI has been adopted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, it will certainly become embraced by most institutions.
It can become overwhelming to contemplate such sweeping change, but I have found that having a strong foundational understanding of IDDSI by all stakeholders makes progress smoother and quicker. Therefore, I am sharing with you how I have translated IDDSI for our Roche Dietitians clients as we move forward with implementation.
READ MORE: Your Ultimate Guide to IDDSI
What is IDDSI?
In case you need a review:
IDDSI began with a committee of food and swallowing professionals from around the world. Their goal was to develop global, standardized terminology and definitions to describe texture-modified foods and thickened liquids for individuals with dysphagia of all ages, in all care settings, and all cultures.
The IDDSI committee built a framework of diet and liquid levels for serving texture-modified foods and thickened liquids after systematically reviewing dysphagia research and practice data. The IDDSI framework provides detailed definitions and descriptors for each level, along with methods for testing that foods and liquids meet the standard definition of that level.
The IDDSI framework has eight levels ranging from level 0 for thin liquids to level 7 for regular texture foods. Each level is distinctly identified with a color, number and a label. The combination of the three identifiers will help to limit errors in prescribing, identifying, preparing and assembling dysphagia diet orders.
Levels 3 and 4 are connected between the foods and drinks because the behavior and characteristics of pureed foods is very similar to that of extremely thick liquids and liquidised foods to that of moderately thick liquids.
READ MORE: The five key components you need to train food service workers on IDDSI
What’s New and Different about IDDSI?
IDDSI helps us think about texture-modified foods’ characteristics as they relate to chewing and swallowing. We are interested in particle size, moisture, stickiness, and softness. We now have a language to identify texture-modified foods and a standard way to define each unique level.
What else is new is that we have a way to test food to verify it’s at the expected state before it’s eaten. And this testing can and should occur anywhere throughout the process of procurement, preparation, and service.
Below is a chart of the IDDSI diets that we built as an introduction to IDDSI. It helps our clients understand IDDSI in a snapshot. I hope it helps you as well. Let us know in the comments section below.
Below is a chart that we created to use in Roche Dietitians training and educational programs to give an overview of IDDSI testing for foods. Testing foods is a new concept so taking a bird’s eye view is the first step in the process of incorporating testing into recipes, food service operations, meal service and training.
This chart helps identify the testing methods as well as which diets they are applied to. I am including the newly created Regular Easy to Chew (Level 7). Let us know if you find this chart helpful and if you have any additions or edits that you would make by leaving a comment below.
READ MORE: 5 Steps for Hospital Dietitians to Implement IDDSI in a Streamlined Way or 5 Steps for Long-Term Care Dietitians to Implement IDDSI in a Streamlined Way
What about thickened liquids with IDDSI?
We include a complete overview of thickened liquids with videos of each drink level in our Roche Dietitians "We Test for Safety" IDDSI Training Program GET ME STARTED BUNDLE. Click here for details.
Do I have to do it all for IDDSI?
You do not have to adopt all IDDSI levels. It depends on the needs of the population you serve. For example, in the older adult population, many folks have a need for soft foods but do not necessarily have swallowing problems. Here we would use the more liberal Regular, Easy to Chew (Level 7) over the Minced & Moist (Level 5).
What’s important is that you do not change an IDDSI diet in any way. For IDDSI to truly be standard, we cannot create our own versions, no matter how small the change or alteration may be. If we use the same terminology as IDDSI, the definition of the diet or beverage thickness needs to remain the same.
This is how IDDSI puts it: “Alterations to elements of the IDDSI framework may lead to confusion and errors in diet texture or drink selection for patients with dysphagia. Such errors have previously been associated with adverse events including choking and death.”
READ MORE: IDDSI Frequently Asked Questions: Can we change between IDDSI levels for an individual?
What are my next steps with IDDSI?
Here are the three smartest things to do right now:
Start with purees.
Most of us are already making purees. Your purees may not be up to the IDDSI standards yet, but that’s okay. Your experience with purees will help you understand IDDSI Puree (Level 4).
You just need to evaluate your purees and adjust them to meet the IDDSI standards. A fork and spoon are the only tools you’ll use to evaluate. Getting started with purees won’t require you to make a big organizational shift.
Practice using the tests.
See how well the texture-modified foods you currently serve meet the IDDSI testing standards. It’s worth mentioning again that this works particularly well with pureed foods. You can focus on getting your puree foods to IDDSI standards before moving on to other levels.
Get some help.
Spread the word in your institution and recruit a champion to support you in your IDDSI journey.
Don’t reinvent the wheel. Hire a consultant who has recipes, menus, testing forms, training materials, and other resources to help you along the way.
Seek out helpful resources like IDDSI.org and Roche Dietitians’ Your Ultimate Guide to IDDSI.
Keep learning. Interested in more information about IDDSI? Click here to get your top 17 IDDSI tips!
Get in on the conversation. Let’s build a community to support each other on our IDDSI journey. Share your thoughts in the comment section below. I will respond to all comments and questions. Or click the Let’s Talk button and we can talk directly.
Looking for more advice on IDDSI? Download our free resource, Top 17 Tips for IDDSI, to learn where to start with IDDSI and why IDDSI makes things easier in the long run. You'll also receive our monthly Four Minute Brief newsletter.
References:
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Adult Dysphagia
https://www.asha.org/PRPSpecificTopic.aspx?folderid=8589942550§ion=Incidence_and_Prevalence