PURPOSE: To characterize the diagnostic profile and the users flow of a Speech-Language Pathology service within a public teaching hospital. METHODS: Data were collected from documents and medical records selected by code between October 2007 and March 2009. Data were subjected to descriptive statistics. RESULTS: There was a predominance of male individuals (67.80%); 58.95% of the patients/participants were children within the age range from 0 to 7 years; 88.48% came from cities in the northern region of the state of São Paulo; 43.2% were referred by the hospital's neurology service, and 33.6% were attending school. The diagnosis was language delay in 27.5% of cases, language disorder in 20.06%, and learning disorders in 15.51%, with prevalence rates of 0.31, 0.17 and 0.23 in 273 cases, respectively. The co-morbidities were delayed motor development (14.28%) and prematurity (8.69%). The referrals were for Audiology (24.77%) and Dentistry (20.18%), and 51.64% of the users were on the waiting list for treatment on site. CONCLUSION: It was prevalent the diagnosis of language delay in male children with ages between 0 and 6 years and 11 months. It was identified an external flow coming from nearby cities and an internal flow (outpatient). Part of the demand was absorbed by the institution's Speech-Language Pathology Service, and part was in the waiting list or was counter-referred to their units of origin for follow-up.
Universal Health Care System; Health care services; Outpatient clinics, hospital; Outpatients; Epidemiology; Child language
