Simulation-Based Comprehensive Cleft Care Workshops: A Reproducible Model for Sustainable Education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery

Background:

• Comprehensive cleft care requires specialized training for healthcare professionals.
• Simulation-based learning offers a controlled environment for skill acquisition.
• Evaluating the impact of such training is crucial for educational model refinement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of simulation-based comprehensive cleft care workshops.
• To determine if these workshops serve as a reproducible educational model.
• To evaluate the sustained impact of the training on clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was used to evaluate a three-day simulation-based workshop.
• 180 participants from diverse specialties across 5 continents attended the workshop.
• Data collected included participant satisfaction and self-reported changes in procedural confidence and clinical practice.

Main Results:

• High participant satisfaction was reported for the workshop and simulation-based learning.
• Significant improvements in procedural confidence for cleft lip and palate surgeries were observed.
• Participants reported positive short-term and medium-term impacts on their clinical practices.

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based comprehensive cleft care workshops are well-received and enhance surgical confidence.
• These workshops demonstrate a sustained positive impact on clinical practice.
• Further efforts should focus on replicating this model and quantifying its impact in other areas.