A Profile of the Patients at the Hearing and Speech Clinic from 2009 to 2014: A Retrospective Study

Goal: The goal of this study was to measure the percentage of patients who exhibited communication disorders in the Speech and Hearing Clinic (HSC) at the University of Jordan (UJ); percentages were examined by patient age and gender. Method: The profiles of 1140 patients who presented with communication disorders were studied. Patients attended the HSC at UJ from 2009 to 2013 for evaluation or speech therapy. The first classification of disorders was language impairments, aphasia, articulation disorders, cluttering, stuttering, voice disorders, and dysphagia. The second classification of disorders was conducted by dividing communication disorders into three groups: speech disorders, language impairments, and dysphagia. Results: The highest percentage of patients at HSC had language impairments (539), and the lowest percentage of patients was diagnosed with cluttering (2 patients). Discussion: The results of this study provide valuable information about the prevalence of each disorder in the Jordanian society. Results will provide information to guide the professionals, public, patients, and patients' families in seeking therapy.