South African speech-language therapists' opinion of their training in cleft lip and palate and craniofacial deformities.
Emad Ghabrial, Kurt W Bütow, Steve Olorunju
PMID 32787416WHAT IT FOUND
South African speech-language therapists reported little clinical exposure to cleft and craniofacial care, and 97% wanted dedicated academic training programmes.
Key findings
01Only 9% reported clinical exposure during undergraduate education, and 13% reported it during postgraduate education.
02Among respondents who did not treat cleft and craniofacial patients, 44% said limited training and experience was the reason.
0397% recommended dedicated academic training programmes in this field.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The findings come from 123 responders who were willing to answer, so they may not represent South African speech-language therapists who did not respond. The study did not verify university training records, so the reported knowledge and exposure are perceptions rather than confirmed curricula. The analysis only described frequencies and percentages; it did not test hypotheses. It focuses on South African speech-language therapists, so it may not apply to other countries or professions.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these percentages as proof that all South African speech therapists are unqualified to treat cleft and craniofacial patients. They are self-reported opinions from 123 responders, and the study did not verify university training records.