Interdisciplinary aerodigestive care model improves risk, cost, and efficiency

Objective: This study sought to evaluate the impact of an interdisciplinary care model for pediatric aerodigestive patients in terms of efficiency, risk exposure, and cost. Methods: Patients meeting a standard clinical inclusion definition were studied before and after implementation of the aerodigestive program. Results: 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. Conclusion: 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.