title: Service utilisation and costs of language impairment in children: The early language in Victoria Australian population-based study.
abstract: To examine (1) the patterns of service use and costs associated with language impairment in a community cohort of children from ages 4-9 years and (2) the relationship between language impairment and health service utilisation.
  
  
  
  Participants were children and caregivers of six local government areas in Melbourne participating in the community-based Early Language in Victoria Study (ELVS). Health service use was reported by parents. Costs were valued in Australian dollars in 2014, from the government and family perspectives. Depending on age, the Australian adapted Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals - Pre-school, 2nd Edition (CELF-P2) or the CELF, 4th Edition (CELF4) was used to assess expressive and receptive language.
  
  
  
  At 5, 7 and 9 years respectively 21%, 11% and 8% of families reported using services for speech and/or language concerns. The annual costs associated with using services averaged A$612 (A$255 to government, A$357 to family) at 5 years and A$992 (A$317 to government, A$675 to family) at 7 years. Children with persistent language impairment had significantly higher service costs than those with typical language.
  
  
  
  Language impairment in 4-9-year-old children is associated with higher use of services and costs to both families and government compared to typical language.
authors.affiliation: a Population Health Strategic Research Center , Deakin Health Economics, Deakin University , Burwood , Victoria , Australia.|b Center for Community Child Health , The Royal Children's Hospital , Parkville , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Ha N D
authors.initials: HND
authors.lastname: Le
authors.affiliation: a Population Health Strategic Research Center , Deakin Health Economics, Deakin University , Burwood , Victoria , Australia.|b Center for Community Child Health , The Royal Children's Hospital , Parkville , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.affiliation: c Murdoch Children's Research Institute , The Royal Children's Hospital , Parkville , Victoria , Australia.|d Department of Paediatrics , The University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mensah
authors.affiliation: e Melbourne Graduate School of Education , University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eadie
authors.affiliation: f School of Psychology and Public Health , La Trobe University , Melbourne , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Edith L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Bavin
authors.affiliation: c Murdoch Children's Research Institute , The Royal Children's Hospital , Parkville , Victoria , Australia.|d Department of Paediatrics , The University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Victoria , Australia.|g Faculty of Medicine, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences , Dentistry, and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Victoria , Australia , and.
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bretherton
authors.affiliation: c Murdoch Children's Research Institute , The Royal Children's Hospital , Parkville , Victoria , Australia.|d Department of Paediatrics , The University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Victoria , Australia.|h Menzies Health Institute Queensland , Griffith University , QLD , Australia.
authors.forename: Sheena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reilly
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014739:Victoria
keywords: Language impairment; costs; health service; use