Outpatient speech therapy services grow 35%

The Health Secretariat (SES) recorded a 35% increase in the number of outpatient speech therapy procedures performed in 2022 in DF’s general network, compared to the previous year. According to InfoSaúde, only in the Asa Norte clinic, a reference in voice assistance, the number of cases increased from 2,223 in 2021 to 2,946 last year. The data relates to individual counseling and therapies, audiological assessments, and educational activities.

Gained fame, this month, because of the eighteenth edition of the campaign sound friendsand rehabilitative care and vocal health. With this year’s theme “Voice: Communication Without Borders”, the campaign is an initiative of the Brazilian Association of Speech Therapy.

“This increase is the result of the mobilization made in the network regarding the importance of vocal therapy and the greater number of resources to meet the demand,” explains the Ocânia da Costa Vale speech therapist, district technical reference (RTD) in the specialty.

Another factor that directly contributed to the progress, notes the expert, is the number of hours of service provided. “In the North Wing Infirmary [no Hospital Regional da Asa Norte – Hran]Until 2021 it was 10 o’clock. In 2022, we increased the assistance to 20 hours per week,” he says.

Currently, the work of speech therapists is offered in the polyclinics of Asa Norte and Taguatinga and in the respective regional hospitals. In addition, the Hospital de Besse (HB) provides support in the field of care, under the direction of the Institute for Strategic Health Management (IgesDF).

Assessment and referral

Most patients treated at the Asa Norte Clinic’s speech therapy outpatient clinic arrive on the recommendation of otolaryngologists who, through specific tests, discover the need for support from a speech therapist.

“The patient makes a voice complaint, we make an assessment, adjust his voice and provide him with a quality of life,” says Yunara Cayetano, a speech therapist in the unit. The outpatient clinic mainly sees two types of cases: people whose voice has been damaged by postoperative consequences or illness, and those who use their voice as a working tool.

This is the case of Professor Elvis Cardoso. He came to the Harran clinic after he developed severe hoarseness and a sore throat. “I started the follow-up to improve my voice and relieve pain,” he says. After the second consultation, he already felt the difference: “The quality of my voice has really improved a lot, especially after the exercises my speech therapist gave me.”

The consequences of COVID-19 are also a common reason among consultations. “The disease causes a loss of muscle mass, so we see many cases of weakness in the muscles, which end up affecting the voice,” explains Yunara.

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necessary care

Vocal correctness requires attention. Therefore, experts point out, it is essential to be aware of risk factors such as cigarettes, alcohol consumption, and vocal use in high demand (such as talking on the phone frequently, shouting, speaking at a high intensity), among others. The recommendation is that a person, at the sign of voice changes and a persistent cough for more than 15 days, seek professional guidance for both diagnosis and treatment.

Ocaña recalls that the speech therapy tools have been improved. In April 2022, it was launched Technical note Which handles the flow criteria of redirecting users to query the service.

*With information from the Ministry of Health

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