Object: To identify the perception of barriers to the comprehensive management of cleft lip and palate (CLP) by parents/caregivers of Colombian children with this condition.
Setting and sample population: Fifty parents/caregivers of children with CLP under 12 years attending a center specialized in the management of craniofacial congenital conditions in Bogota, Colombia.
Materials and methods: This study consisted of 2 phases: a quantitative phase (descriptive cross-sectional) and a qualitative phase (focus group [FG]). Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used to analyze the association variables. The barriers and alternative ways to overcome barriers were analyzed in the FG.
Results: Comprehensive management was mostly defined as access to multiple treatments (54%), and this concept was expanded in the FG toward understanding CLP at all levels. Monoparental families spend their income on treatments (29%) than nuclear families (0%) (P = .001). All parents with high education levels were familiar with healthcare centers specialized in CLP as opposed to 66.7% of parents with basic primary education (P < .05). Regarding the timeliness of appointments, 12.2% of parents earning between 1 and 2 minimum wages reported some kind of difficulty, whereas those earning less than one minimum wage reported difficulties in 66.7% of cases (P = .046).
Conclusions: All participants reported barriers, which increased or decreased depending on their socioeconomic status. The FG allowed the discussion of alternatives to overcome barriers, such as structural, solidarity, and self-management actions.
Keywords: cleft lip; cleft palate; delivery of health care; equity in access to health services; health care quality, access, and evaluation.