Treatment outcomes of interdisciplinary care on speech and health-related quality of life outcomes in adults with cleft palate

Purpose: Individuals born with a cleft palate with or without a cleft lip (CP ± L) often experience functional, aesthetic, and psychosocial consequences well into adulthood. This study aimed to investigate outcomes of speech and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults with a CP ± L who received interdisciplinary cleft care at the Ghent University Hospital using valid, reliable, and condition-specific instruments. Method: Thirteen Belgian Dutch-speaking participants with a CP ± L with a mean age of 25.4 years (SD = 5.1, range: 20–33 years) and an age-and gender-matched control group of 13 participants without a CP ± L with a mean age of 25.2 years (SD = 4.8, range: 20–32 years) were included in this study. Speech characteristics were evaluated perceptually and instrumentally. HRQoL was assessed through standardized patient-reported outcome measures. Out-comes were compared with those of the control group and to normative data where available. Results: Participants with a CP ± L in this sample demonstrated significantly lower speech acceptability (p < .001) and higher rates of hypernasality (p = .015) and nasal turbulence (p = .005) than the control group. They showed significantly higher satisfaction with appearance of the cleft scar compared with norms of adults with a CP ± L (p = .047). No other differences in speech characteristics, sociodemographics, or HRQoL were found between participants with and without a CP ± L. Conclusions: The reduced speech acceptability and the presence of resonance and nasal airflow disorders may indicate the need for standardized long-term out-come measurement and interdisciplinary follow-up for speech characteristics and velopharyngeal insufficiency in young and middle adulthood in future clinical practice. Additional research is necessary to further substantiate these findings and