A Comprehensive Assessment of Cleft Lip and Palate Websites and Patient Education Information.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate online educational resources on cleft lip and palate teams.

Design: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Setting: An International, Multi-Institutional Study.

Participants: All American Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association-approved teams with websites.

Interventions: None.

Main outcome measures: Websites were assessed for patient education and support content. Affiliation between presence of materials and U.S. Newsweek Top 100 Hospitals was also assessed.

Results: 187 teams were included. Presence of educational videos were available in 29.4% of websites, educational infographics in 18.2%, written materials in 66.8%, perioperative instructions in 19.3%, diagnosis information in 34.8% and treatment information in 63.1%. Information on team members were available on 77.0% of websites, resources in languages other than English in 38.5%, and support group resources in 25.7%. Cleft lip and palate diagnosis information was significantly associated with geographic region, with the largest impact from the West region (P = .03). There was a significant difference between teams affiliated with U.S. Newsweek Top 100 hospitals: Top 100 hospitals had a higher presence of educational infographics, perioperative instructions, definitions, diagnosis, and treatment (P < .01). There was no significant difference between presence of educational videos (P = .37).

Conclusion: While many websites had basic educational materials, very few included detailed information on peri-operative planning, as well as additional forms of information including videos, infographics, and non-English languages. Providing comprehensive patient education materials online is an important supplement for patients with cleft lip and palate and should be prioritized by cleft teams.