The Eurocleft study: intercenter study of treatment outcome in patients with complete cleft lip and palate. Part 4: relationship among treatment outcome, patient/parent satisfaction, and the burden of care.
OBJECTIVE
To assess patient/parent satisfaction with the treatment they had received from their respective teams, and to explore interrelationships between satisfaction, objectively rated outcome, and the burden of care.


METHODS
This study reports cross-sectional data as part of the overall longitudinal cohort study reported in the other four papers of this series.


METHODS
Multidisciplinary cleft services in Northern Europe.


METHODS
127 consecutively treated 17-year-olds with repaired complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and their parents.


METHODS
Patient/parent satisfaction.


RESULTS
Generally, there was a high level of patient/parent satisfaction. There were no relationships among satisfaction, objectively rated outcomes, and the amount of care.


CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights various challenges involved in questionnaire surveys into patient/parent satisfaction, and underlines the need for collective efforts to improve our understanding of this issue.
Semb
Gunvor
G
Department of Plastic Surgery, National Hospital, and Bredtvet Resource Center, University of Oslo, Norway. gunvor.semb@man.ac.uk
Brattström
Viveca
V
Mølsted
Kirsten
K
Prahl-Andersen
Birte
B
Zuurbier
Petra
P
Rumsey
Nichola
N
Shaw
William C
WC
D000293:Adolescent; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000523:psychology*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires