i
The Revista Chilena de Fonoaudiología and the Chilean Society of Speech-Language Pathology announce the call for papers for the Special Issue 2027 “Technology and Innovation in Speech-Language Pathology”.
Manuscripts must be submitted through the platform and clearly indicate that they are intended for this special issue. See the full call here.
As of May 22, 2024, authors of articles accepted for publication in the regular issue must pay a translation fee, intended exclusively to cover the costs of the journal’s official translation service. More information HERE.
The Revista Chilena de Fonoaudiología accepts manuscript submissions year-round and publishes on a continuous basis.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Specialized Speech Therapy for Swallowing Versus Traditional Care in Preterm Newborns in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Colombia
Authors
-
Paola Andrea Eusse-Solano
Universidad Metropolitana
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3403-3532
-
David Scott Jervis-Jálabe
Corporación Universitaria de la Costa
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4280-8510
-
Nelson Alvis-Guzmán
Corporación Universitaria de la Costa
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9458-864X
-
Indira Paola Beleño-Rico
Clínica Bonnadona Prevenir
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8671-5457
Abstract
The treatment of preterm newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit includes specialized speech-language therapy for swallowing, aimed at facilitating the early acquisition of effective nutritive sucking skills to reduce feeding periods and enhance weight gain. This study aimed to analyze the cost-effectiveness of specialized speech-language therapy for swallowing in preterm newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) compared to traditional care. A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted to compare specialized swallowing care and conventional care in preterm infants admitted to the NICU of a high-complexity hospital in Barranquilla between December 2019 and October 2021. The study included 330 preterm newborns, recording clinical data and hospital costs. Effectiveness was measured based on weight gain and length of hospital stay. Direct medical costs and sensitivity were analyzed. The cost-effectiveness analysis revealed that specialized speech therapy resulted in an average weight gain of 28.6% and a reduction in length of stay of approximately 29.2 days compared to traditional care. The average cost of a daily hospital stay with speech therapy was COP 812,402 (USD 164.18), compared to COP 1,429,859 (USD 288.96) for traditional care, resulting in a marginal cost of COP 617,457 (USD 124.78) and a marginal effectiveness of 6.6 grams of average weight gained per day of stay. It is concluded that specialized speech-language therapy for swallowing is the superior therapeutic option, as it is more effective and less costly than traditional care.
Twitter