PURPOSE: To characterize orofacial myology treatment offered at the Ambulatory of Speech and Language Pathology of the Hospital das Clínicas of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais concerning adhesion and therapy success, as well as to compare data from patients who actively searched for therapy and those referred by the Oral Breathing Ambulatory of the same institution. METHODS: Ninety records of all patients that were discharged or resigned from treatment either at the Ambulatory of Speech and Language Pathology (MO Group) or at the Oral Breathing Ambulatory (RO Group) were investigated. The results were statistically analyzed using Mann-Whitney and Chi-square tests (5%). RESULTS: Median calculation showed that the duration of therapy was of 6,0 months, the total number of sessions was 17, the number of sessions carried out was 12 and the number of absences was equivalent to 4,5. Only 41.2% of the patients carried out the procedures recommended by the therapist. The conclusion of the therapeutic process was mainly resignation (73.3%), and excessive absences was most frequent reason for that (24.4%). The groups differed from each other regarding resignation reason: absences predominated as the reason for the RO Group (p<0,01), while the wait for other professionals was the most frequent reason for the MO Group (p<0,01). Significant associations regarding absences and resignation (p<0,01) and adhesion and resignation (p<0,01) were found in the RO Group. CONCLUSIONS: The researched characteristics were predominantly similar between the groups. Despite many patients followed recommendations totally or partially, adhesion was compromised by excessive absences. Thus, therapy success was not achieved in the majority of the cases studied.
Speech therapy; Myofunctional therapy; Stomatognathic system abnormalities; Mouth breathing; Treatment outcome; Health services research; Patient discharge
