A remote video evaluation is as reliable as an in-person evaluation prior to cleft lip and palate reconstructive surgery in low- and middle-income countries, according to a study published in The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal.
Researchers identified 27 patients at a hospital in Latacunga, Ecuador, for operative repair of the cleft lip and palate. They compared the reliability of craniofacial surgeons' in-person assessments for classifying cleft lip and palate cases to remote video assessments.
Of the 27 patients, 22 received operative treatment for their cleft disorder. The researchers determined a 95.7 percent agreement between experts for cleft lip and 82.6 percent agreement between experts for cleft palate.
"Remote digital assessments are a reliable way to preoperatively diagnose cleft lip and palate in the context of short-term plastic surgical interventions in low- and middle-income countries," the study authors concluded.