Utilization of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Services in Stroke Patients

The purpose of this study was to investigate biographical and medical factors associated with utilization of speech-language pathology and audiology services provided to stroke patients in the hospital setting. Moreover, the study sought to identify possible sub-groups of stroke patients that might be under served by speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Discharge data for over 91,000 stroke patients from the years 1996 to 2000 were examined. Using a relatively new statistical approach - a novel decision tree - the analyses revealed an association between medical diagnostic complexity, hospital setting, hospital location, and increased utilization of rehabilitation services. Biographical factors such as age, race, and gender were not related to the amount of services rendered.