From Principles to Practice:
Implementing Informed Consent for Texture-Modified Diets
Presented by:
Hillary Cooper, MA, CCC-SLP
President & Co-Founder, Dysphagia Outreach Project
Originally Broadcast December 2, 2025
Description: Informed consent is more than a buzzword—it’s a process that ensures adults with dysphagia understand the risks and the benefits behind all of their options for diet texture modifications. Yet, in fast-paced healthcare settings, engaging in and documenting truly patient-centered consent conversations around diet texture modifications can feel aspirational rather than achievable. This FREE Giving Tuesday webinar bridges the gap between ethics and real-world application.
This session offers evidence-informed, easy-to-implement strategies to help clinicians put informed consent for diet texture modifications into everyday practice. Participants will receive practical handouts and tools designed to guide shared decision-making discussions, document patient preferences, and empower adults with dysphagia to participate actively in their care. Whether you’re an SLP, nurse, dietitian, physician, caregiver, or person with dysphagia, this session equips you with the knowledge and resources to make patient voice a central part of safe, ethical swallowing care.
Objectives:
- Participants will be able to accurately define at least two ethical or clinical justifications for engaging patients in informed consent discussions for texture-modified diets,
- Participants will be able to identify and select at least three practical strategies for implementing informed consent in dysphagia care
- Participants will be able to explain the purpose of two or more provided handouts or templates designed to support shared decision-making conversations around diet texture modifications.
Length: 2 Hours
Agenda:
0-5 Minutes: Introduction
5-20 Minutes: Risks & Benefits of Texture Modified Diets
20-30 Minutes: Shared Decision-Making vs Informed Consent
30-55 Minutes: The Ethical Landscape of Textured Modified Diets
55-75 Minutes: Essential Elements of Informed Consent
75-105 Minutes: Interactive Walkthrough of Handouts/Templates
105-120 Minutes: Q&A
Target Audience: Speech-language pathologists, nurses, dietitians, physicians, caregivers, or people with dysphagia
ASHA CEUs: .2 ASHA CEUs will be offered for the live broadcast of this webinar only. Eligible for ASHA’s Ethics requirement.
Meet the Presenter
Hillary Cooper, MA, CCC-SLP
Hillary Cooper (she/her) is an advocate, educator, researcher, and self-proclaimed dysphagia geek. She owns North Louisiana Swallow Solutions, providing mobile FEES across North Louisiana and South Arkansas. She co-founded Dysphagia Outreach Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to provide meaningful assistance to people financially impacted by dysphagia by running the only food/supply pantry in the US for people with feeding and swallowing disorders. She is the current Council of State Association Presidents (CSAP) Treasurer and is a Louisiana Speech-Language Hearing Association (LSHA) Past President. Hillary is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Learning and Organizational Change at Baylor University. Her research currently focuses on (1) identifying barriers and facilitators to the use of shared decision-making for diet texture modifications in long-term care settings and (2) identifying novel ways to maximize the charitable distribution of dysphagia supplies through organizations such as Dysphagia Outreach Project and traditional food banks.
Financial Disclosures:
Owner, North Louisiana Swallow Solutions (receives salary, ownership interest)
Nonfinancial Disclosures:
President & Co-founder, Dysphagia Outreach Project
2024-2026 Treasurer for Council for State Association Presidents (CSAP)
Past President of the Louisiana Speech-Language Hearing Association (LSHA)
Doctoral Candidate, Baylor University
Cost: FREE. This webinar has been made free to all registrants thanks to a generous unrestricted educational grant provided by Bracco Diagnostics and the educational sponsors of the NFOSD.
NFOSD Educational Sponsors
