Program Structure and Responsibility in Short-Term Cleft Surgery Programs: The SCALE Framework

Healthcare workers commonly participate in cleft surgery programs to help address global disparities in access to care. The rigor of these programs varies considerably and may not be readily visible to prospective participants prior to engagement. We offer a practical framework to assist prospective volunteers in evaluating cleft surgery programs across domains of patient Safety, Continuity of care, organizational Accountability, Local workforce integration, and Equity and patient rights. The framework is intended for use prior to engagement in overseas clinical work and draws on the authors' combined experience across multiple international cleft surgical programs.