title: The Eurocleft study: intercenter study of treatment outcome in patients with complete cleft lip and palate. Part 5: discussion and conclusions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the lessons learned from a longitudinal intercenter comparison study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multidisciplinary cleft services in Northern Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals with repaired complete unilateral cleft lip and palate.
  
  
  METHODS
  The first four papers in this series report amount of treatment, cephalometric form, nasolabial appearance, dental arch relationship, patient/parent satisfaction. This paper considers the consistency of outcome at the five centers over time, and other relationships between outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some outcomes measured in childhood can be predictive over time. The amount of treatment does not correlate with the quality of clinical outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measurement of clinical outcome in childhood is an important and valid form of clinical audit. Intercenter studies are more informative than single center reports, and will have an important future role in cleft care.
authors.affiliation: Department for Oral Health and Development, University Dental Hospital of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom. bill.shaw@man.ac.uk
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Viveca
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brattström
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mølsted
authors.forename: Birte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prahl-Andersen
authors.forename: Christopher T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Gunvor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Semb
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019985:Benchmarking; D015982:Bias; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D019230:Dental Audit; D005060:Europe; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000592:standards*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards