title: The Americleft study: an inter-center study of treatment outcomes for patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate part 1. Principles and study design.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Americleft study is a North American initiative to undertake an intercenter outcome study for patients with repaired complete unilateral cleft lip and palate from five well-established North American cleft centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five cleft palate centers in North America.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is the first paper in a series of five that outlines the overall goals of the study and sets the basis for the clinical outcome studies that are reported in the following four papers. The five centers' samples and treatment protocols as well as the methods used for each study are reported. The challenges encountered and possible mechanisms to resolve them and reduce methodological error with intercenter studies are also reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Ross E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hathaway
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Daskalogiannakis
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mercado
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Gunvor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Semb
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012107:Research Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies