PURPOSE: To characterize the demand referred to the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Service of a Primary Healthcare Center, in the period of 2006/2007. METHODS: A transversal report study was carried out using databases and the files of the aforementioned service. From the databases, the following variables were obtained: gender, age and origin of reference. From the patients' files, we obtained data about the initial complaint and the diagnostic hypothesis. RESULTS: From the total number of registries (n=243), the majority regarded male patients (65%), with ages from six to 12 years (52.3%), referred by the pediatrician (35.3%), with complaints of speech disorders (67.8%) and diagnostic hypothesis of phonetic deviation (28.4%); 37 files (15.2%) had no treatment indication, and 31 (12.8%) did not register a diagnostic hypothesis. CONCLUSION: More investments on planning speech-language pathology health actions are necessary, in order to obtain medium to long-term decrease of speech disorders, as well as the waiting lists for this specialty, and for the records of the files and referrals to be more appropriate.
Health sciences; Public health; Health management; Epidemiology; Health services needs and demand
