Applicability of burden of disease methodology in human communication disorders

ABSTRACT:

The burden of disease methodology is composed by the calculation of specific indicators, and proposes to measure the effects of diseases on the physical, emotional and social welfare, either from the effects of premature death and morbidity, as well as comorbidities on the health conditions of the population. This study aimed to verify the possibility of application of the concept of the burden of disease in the study of human communication disorders in an attempt to introduce new methodologies and better characterize the setting of these diseases. This study involved an integrative literature review in Scielo, Lilacs and Pubmed bases, with presentation of concepts and a critical analysis of burden of disease's indicators and their potential applications in the field of speech, language and hearing sciences. The findings indicate a lack of studies using the concepts related to burden of disease as applied to human communication and its disorders as well as their implications on the life of the subject according to the methodology proposed by the World Health Organization. There are opportunities to apply the burden of disease concept and methodology in the field of communication disorders, both, to identify the impact of diseases on the individual, as for the evaluation of the quality and also to measure the effectiveness of interventions in the field of communication disorders.

Keywords: Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Prevalence; Incidence; Review