Better care for children with feeding disorders

Pediatric Eating & Swallowing Project garners provincial Patient Experience Award

Story & photo by Melanie Veriotes

In celebration of their collaborative spirit and profound impact on patient care, The Pediatric Eating and Swallowing Project (PEAS) team has been recognized with a Health Quality Council of Alberta 2023 Patient Experience Award at the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary and the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton on behalf of all participants across the province.

This award stands as a testament to the commitment of healthcare professionals to make a difference in the lives of children who suffer from pediatric feeding disorders. The awards recognize initiatives that improve patient and family experience in accessing or receiving healthcare services.

The PEAS Project brought together outpatient and community care teams across Alberta with the aim to standardize services and improve care for children living with eating and swallowing challenges. These issues affect a substantial portion of Alberta's youth — about 35 per cent of typically developing children and 80 per cent of developmentally vulnerable children experiencing feeding problems.

“The PEAS Project has developed a provincially consistent approach that helps children and families with feeding and also increases the scope of practice for healthcare professionals,” says Melanie Matiisen Dewar, Unit Manager, Ambulatory Complex Care, Emily's Backyard, FCRC, Neurosciences, PFCC, Transition Navigator Program with Alberta Children’s Hospital.

Dr Justine Turner, Medical Lead for the Pediatric Home Nutrition Support Program at the Stollery Children’s Hospital and the Pediatric Feeding Program at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, says: "Our success in standardizing care for children with feeding disorders hinged on unparalleled collaboration — from healthcare leaders to frontline staff, and crucially, involving families at every step.”

PEAS introduced innovative, evidence-based interventions to help children develop essential eating and swallowing skills. They emphasized early intervention and personalized treatment plans, fostering trust and support for families. Additionally, a dedicated website was created to serve as a valuable resource for both families and healthcare providers.

“This unified approach made the difference,” adds Turner. “We have been able to develop a clinical practice guideline, implement an eating, feeding and swallowing care plan adopted by 19 clinics across the province, create patient resources, and reduce wait times and hospital visits significantly. It's proof that collective efforts can truly transform care for these children."

Charlene McBrien-Morrison, Health Quality Council of Alberta CEO, says: “The 2023 Patient Experience Award not only recognizes the PEAS Project's excellence, but also reaffirms the critical importance of family engagement and collaborating to find innovative solutions.”

To see how one family was impacted by this project, see the Health Quality Council of Alberta video.