AI-Enabled Mobile App for Safe Eating in Older Adults With Dysphagia

Summary

Difficulty swallowing (called dysphagia) is common in older adults and can make eating and drinking unsafe. It may lead to serious problems such as choking, lung infections, poor nutrition, and reduced quality of life. One common way to reduce these risks is to modify food and drink textures (for example, making foods softer or liquids thicker). However, people often find it difficult to prepare food at the correct texture level in everyday life, especially at home, which may reduce the effectiveness of this approach.

This study aims to test whether a smartphone application powered by artificial intelligence (AI) can help older adults with swallowing difficulties eat more safely. The app allows users (or their caregivers) to take a photo of food or drinks, and the app then estimates the texture level and provides guidance to help ensure it is safe to swallow. It also gives simple prompts to double-check food texture when needed.

In this clinical trial, community-dwelling adults aged 60 years or above with swallowing difficulties will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive usual care, which includes education about safe swallowing and written instructions on appropriate food textures. The other group will receive the same usual care plus access to the AI-enabled mobile app for 16 weeks. Participants will continue their daily eating routines at home.

The main question this study is trying to answer is: Does using the AI-enabled mobile app improve how often people eat foods that match their recommended safe texture level compared with usual care alone?

The study will also examine whether the app helps reduce swallowing-related problems (such as choking), improves quality of life, and supports better overall eating ability. In addition, the study will evaluate how easy the app is to use and whether it places any burden on users.

Hypothesis: The researchers hypothesize that participants who use the AI-enabled app, in addition to usual care, will more consistently follow recommended food texture guidelines and experience safer eating compared with those who receive usual care alone.

Conditions

• Deglutition Disorders
• Dysphagia

Interventions

DEVICE

AI-Enabled Mobile Application plus Standard Care

A smartphone-based application that uses artificial intelligence to classify food and liquid textures from images captured by the user. The application provides real-time guidance aligned with standardized dysphagia diet levels and delivers safety-focused prompts to verify texture using simple methods when needed. The tool is designed to support safe meal preparation and improve adherence to prescribed texture-modified diets in daily home settings. Participants receive onboarding and use the application during meals throughout the intervention period.

BEHAVIORAL

Standard Dysphagia Education

A structured education session providing guidance on safe swallowing practices and preparation of texture-modified foods and liquids. Participants receive printed educational materials describing appropriate food textures and simple methods for checking consistency. This reflects usual care in community dysphagia management and does not include digital or automated decision support.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• KAM Chi Shan Anna

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Anna Kam, AuD · The Education University of Hong Kong

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2028-01-31

Primary Completion

2030-12-31

Completion

2030-12-31

Countries

• Hong Kong

Study Locations