Background: The quadruple burden of disease (BoD) and multimorbidity reflected in South Africa’s public health sector challenges speech-language therapists (SLTs) to optimise patient management in this context. For planning and delivery of appropriate services, it is important to understand the profile of speech-language therapy (SLT) patients and the public healthcare services provided by SLTs. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the prevalence of inpatient adult speech, language and swallowing disorders associated with various medical conditions and South Africa’s BoD, in addition to the target areas and duration of SLT interventions provided at a central public hospital. Method: A retrospective review was conducted on records of 2549 adult inpatients who received SLT services between January 2014 and December 2015 at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. Data, including demographics, medical and SLT diagnoses, and treatment recommendations, were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were most prevalent (77.48%), with multimorbidity of BoD categories in 29.27% of patients. Cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) comprised 52.45% patients, with CeVD, traumatic brain injury, other neurological conditions, cancer and burns comprising 88.74% patients. More than a third of the patients with CeVD were 56 years ( n = 486; 36.35%). Dysphagia (48.96%), aphasia (30.95%) and dysarthria (23.62%) were the most common, with 44.68% of patients having multiple SLT diagnoses. The number of SLT sessions significantly correlated with SLT comorbidity ( r s = 0.4200; p = 0.0000), but not BoD comorbidity ( r s = 0.0049; p = 0.8058). Conclusion: Speech-language therapy patients reflected a heavy NCD burden and multimorbidity. Provision of SLT services should take into consideration a profile of increased complexity of medical conditions and SLT diagnoses.
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机译：背景：南非公共卫生部门的四重疾病（BOD）和多元负担，挑战语言治疗师（SCTS）在这种背景下优化患者管理。对于规划和交付适当的服务，了解语言治疗（SLT）患者的概况和斯特别利士提供的公共医疗服务。目的：本研究旨在描述与中央公立医院提供的目标领域和SLT干预措施以及在中央公立医院提供的SLT干预措施相关的住院成人言语，语言和吞咽障碍的患病率。方法：回顾性审查是在2014年1月至2015年1月至2015年12月之间获得SLT服务的2549名成人住院患者的记录，在克里斯汉尼巴拉克万出院学术医院。使用描述性和推理统计分析数据，包括人口统计学，医疗和SLT诊断和治疗建议。结果：非传染性疾病（NCD）最普遍（77.48％），患者29.27％的BOD类别多重多达率。脑血管病（CEVD）包括52.45％的患者，CEVD，创伤性脑损伤，其他神经病症，癌症和烧伤，包含88.74％的患者。超过三分之一的CEVD患者<56岁（n = 486; 36.35％）。吞咽困难（48.96％），性腺（30.95％）和讨厌（23.62％）是最常见的，44.68％的患者患有多个SLT诊断。与SLT合并率显着相关的SLT会话数（R S = 0.4200; P = 0.0000），但不能BOD合并率（R S = 0.0049; P = 0.8058）。结论：语言治疗患者反映了沉重的NCD负荷和多重无水性。提供SLT服务应考虑到医疗条件和SLT诊断增加复杂性的轮廓。
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