Epidemiological characterization of a phoniatric clinical practice

Abstract

Introduction: Child development disorders invite people from different fields of knowledge to reflect on their roles. Within this context, the practice of speech therapy causes continuous reflections based on the singularity of treated cases and their riddles. As a path, the possibility of a dialogue with other areas can respond to clinical possibilities in this field, in order to think about the direction of treatment. Epidemiologic data can also contribute to clinical information for patients’ management. Objective: To characterize epidemiologically a phoniatric clinical practice considering the processes of diagnosis and management. Method: Retrospective study of historical cohort with cross-sections. A total of 879 records of patients with difficulties in communicating complaints submitted to phoniatric evaluation at a private clinic. Results: The male gender was prevalent (64.5%), the language disorder of multifactorial etiology was the most frequent (44%) and the treatment commonly adopted was speech therapy. Interdisciplinary work was the discussion of diagnosis and treatment. Conclusion: Speech therapist stands out as a professional that directs more patients to phoniatric evaluation and is the one which most receives indications of patients from the conduct of the Phoniatrist, stating that the partnership between these specialties, Speech Therapy and Phoniatrics, can contribute to the development of treatments for these patients. We also highlight the importance of the psychologist in the composition of the interdisciplinary team in serving patients with communication disorders, because the results show that it was the second specialty that received more referrals from the Phoniatrist, considering that changes and mental suffering are directly related to language problems.