The Importance of Team Care

The cleft and craniofacial team is a group of doctors and other medical professionals who care for patients with conditions of the skull and/or face. The patient and family are the most important members of the team. Team care is the highest standard of care for patients with craniofacial differences. It is important to find a team that is accredited by the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA), an organization that sets the standards for team care.

The benefits of team care are listed below.

1. Team members work together to address the patient’s needs

2. Provides the patient access to all members of the team at the time the patient needs them

3. Provides the patient access to a wide variety of medical specialists that focus on cleft and craniofacial care

4. Help the family find local agencies and advocate for school services

The cleft and craniofacial team include some of the following medical providers:

• Patient care coordinator

• Speech-language pathologist

• Orthodontist

• Cleft and craniofacial plastic surgeon

• Audiologist

• Pediatric Otolaryngologist (ENT)

• Pediatric Dentist

• Oral Surgeon

• Geneticist

• Genetic Counselor

• Pediatric Neurosurgeon

• Pediatrician

• Psychologist

• Social Worker

After the patient is seen and examined, the team has a meeting to create a specialized treatment plan for the patient. This plan, not only addresses medical concerns, but also addresses psychosocial and educational needs. A team report is generated by the team coordinator and sent to the family to explain the plan in detail. The patient’s care is usually discussed every 6 - 12 months, depending on the patient’s age and treatment plan. Factors that improve patient outcomes occur when: patients and family members share their needs,  follow through with team recommendations and participate with team care.