Where is the Care? Identifying the Impact of Rurality on SLP Caseloads and Treatment Decisions for Children with Cleft Palate.

Challenges providing cleft/craniofacial care in rural communities are often reported, leading to disparities in resources available to clinicians. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of rurality on caseloads and practice patterns of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding speech and velopharyngeal function for children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P).

A national, survey of US-based SLPs (N = 359 respondents) investigated resources, comfort level, caseloads, and practice patterns for children with CL/P. Sub-county classifications that delineated levels of rurality were utilized. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were conducted to determine the impact of population density on assessment and referral decisions.

Nearly 83% of SLPs reported providing care for a child with CL/P and 41.4% of these SLPs reported five or more children with CL/P on caseload throughout their career. There were no significant differences in rurality of practice setting and the likelihood of treating a child with CL/P. Significant differences were present between rural, town, suburban, and metropolitan-based SLPs regarding available resources (p = 0.035). SLPs in rural settings reported feeling uncomfortable treating children with CL/P compared to those in metropolitan settings (p = 0.02). Distance to the cleft/craniofacial team and comfort levels impacted referral decisions.

Most SLPs report having children with CL/P on caseload regardless of practice location. Rurality impacted assessment and referral decisions, especially surrounding access to resources and comfort levels engaging in team care. Findings have implications for developing support systems and reducing barriers for rural SLPs working with children born with CL/P.