Home Visit Patients and Family with Cleft Lip and Palate
Darawan Augsornwan MPH*, Suteera Pradubwong MSN*, Pornpen Prathumwiwattana BSc**, Duangjai Sucontaman MA***, Palakorn Surakunprapha MD****
Affiliation : * Surgical and Orthopedic Department Division of Nursing, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand ** Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Division of Nursing, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand *** Social Welfare Department, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand **** Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Background : The operating process for cleft care, requires continuity of care involving a multidisciplinary team. When the
patient goes to hospital to receive surgery, parents and family feel nervous about their children and need to know how to take
care of their children afterwards. Some patients will have operations into their teenage years. The scar on their face will give
them low self esteem and feelings of isolation. Patients and family need information and encouragement. Home visit should be
a good process to convey information and encourage patients and family.
Objective : Of this project were to convey information and encourage patients and family and to evaluate patients/family
problems and needs as well as to promote networking.
Material and Method: A team meeting took place to decide about the families to be visited. After selection the family nurse
coordinator contacted them by telephone, as well as contacting the primary care unit near to the family and then travelled to
visit the family. The collected data was by questionnaire, observation and in-depth interview.
Results : 2 families were visited before and after operation, 8 families were visited 2-3 days after operation. The families have
better knowledge, more confidence and can take better care of their children. Unfortunately health care professionals in
primary care unit were too busy to join with the team.
Conclusion : Home visit is a good process to convey information and find patients and family problems/needs because they
are more relaxed than in hospital, so can better understand and talk more easily. The families are happy to see the home visit
team and are more confident to take care of their children after visit.
Keywords : Home visit, Patients and family, Cleft lip and palate
