Effectiveness of Utilizing Social Networks in Follow-Up for Lost to Follow-up Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health

Abstract

Background: Cleft lip and cleft palate are abnormalities or deformities of the face, lips, base of the nose and palate, affecting children physically, mentally, and socially. These conditions also place a significant burden on caregivers and families, as parents often need to take time off work and bear travel expenses to facilitate treatment. Due to the long treatment and healing period, patients are at high risk of being lost to follow-up during the treatment process. Social workers have played a crucial role in following up with patients who missed appointments. However, out of 310 patients, only 55 could be contacted, while the remaining 255 were unreachable. Therefore, social networks were utilized to assist with the follow-up of patients who had missed appointments for more than one year. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of social networks in following up pediatric patients with cleft lip and cleft palate who had lost contact or missed appointments for over one year at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted using record forms to investigate social network utilization for appointment follow-up among 255 pediatric patients with cleft lip and cleft palate who have missed appointments for over a year. The study was conducted by the Medical Social Work Department at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health. Result: It was found that the primary government healthcare networks achieved the highest success rate in patient follow-up, at 95.7%.  Meanwhile, the community healthcare networks achieved the highest success rate in patient follow-up, at 65.7%. Conclusion: The effectiveness of social networks in both government healthcare networks and community healthcare and administrative networks can reintegrate the patients into the treatment system by at least 80 percent.