The Cleft Clinic Passport-Improving the Patient Experience

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare
• Patient education
• Health communication

Background:

• Patient and public understanding of cleft multidisciplinary team (MDT) clinics presents challenges.
• The Cleft Care UK report in 2012 highlighted these comprehension difficulties.
• Effective communication is crucial for optimal cleft care management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement an innovative visual educational tool for cleft MDT clinics.
• To improve patient and public understanding of the cleft MDT process.
• To enhance child engagement within the cleft care setting.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) in the design process.
• Developed a personalized visual guide tailored for the cleft MDT clinic.
• Integrated the visual guide as a component of a personal health record.

Main Results:

• The personalized visual guide successfully addressed challenges in understanding cleft MDT clinics.
• The tool demonstrated potential for encouraging greater child engagement.
• Public and Patient Involvement proved effective in creating a novel educational resource.

Conclusions:

• A personalized visual guide is an effective tool for enhancing understanding and engagement in cleft MDT settings.
• PPI is valuable for developing patient-centered healthcare communication tools.
• This visual guide can be a valuable addition to personal health records for cleft patients.