Interdisciplinary aerodigestive care model improves risk, cost, and efficiency

This study sought to evaluate the impact of an interdisciplinary care model for pediatric aerodigestive patients in terms of efficiency, risk exposure, and cost.

Patients meeting a standard clinical inclusion definition were studied before and after implementation of the aerodigestive program.

Aerodigestive patients seen in the interdisciplinary clinic structure achieved a reduction in time to diagnosis (6 vs 150 days) with fewer required specialist consultations (5 vs 11) as compared to those seen in the same institution prior. Post-implementation patients also experienced a significant reduction in risk, with fewer radiation exposures (2 vs 4) and fewer anesthetic episodes (1 vs 2). Total cost associated with the diagnostic evaluation was significantly reduced from a median of $10,374 to $6055.

This is the first study to utilize a pre-post cohort to evaluate the reduction in diagnostic time, risk exposure, and cost attributable to the reorganization of existing resources into an interdisciplinary care model. This suggests that such a model yields improvements in care quality and value for aerodigestive patients, and likely for other pediatric patients with chronic complex conditions.