TeleCleft: Development and Evaluation of a Mobile Application for Monitoring Cleft Patients

Abstract

Objective Development and evaluation of a mobile application for remote monitoring and guidance of pediatric patients diagnosed with cleft lip and/or palate (CL ± P) and their caregivers. Design This is a pilot cross-sectional, applied, and quantitative study. Setting The study was conducted in two tertiary care treatment centers in Brazil. Participants The participants included 20 caregivers and infants undergoing treatment with nasoalveolar molding (NAM) for CL ± P. Interventions The intervention involved using the TeleCleft mobile application for remote monitoring and guidance of caregivers and infants during NAM treatment. Main Outcome Measure(s) The main outcome measures included usability and satisfaction of users with the TeleCleft application. Results The results showed high usability and satisfaction ratings among users of the TeleCleft application. Most participants found remote monitoring to be effective and expressed positive opinions about its convenience and usefulness. Conclusion TeleCleft could be a viable tool for remote monitoring and guidance, reducing the need for patients and caregivers to travel to treatment centers, which could potentially alleviate the burden of care faced by families during the journey of CL ± P treatment.