Economic Perspectives on Treatment of Child Language Disorders

Costs of treatment are of growing concern to payers, clinicians, and patients. Cost analyses can identify cost components of alternative treatments, identify areas for efficiency improvements, and highlight which interventions might be most desirable in light of costs and outcomes. This article visits many issues that arise when conducting cost analyses, paying special attention to conducting cost analyses for language disorder treatments. If clinicians recognize the importance of cost-effectiveness studies, they can maintain their control over the academic and clinical integrity of the studies and ensure that responsible decisions are made regarding the development and use of new treatments and technologies.