Virtual Learning Environment: Occupational Therapy Contributions To Parents And Families Caring For Children With Craniofacial Abnormalities

Introduction: Cleft lip and palate are among the most prevalent congenital malformations in mankind. The Craniofacial Anomalies Rehabilitation Hospital of the University of Sao Paulo in Bauru provides assistance for these patients from all over Latin America through a reference interdisciplinary team. The treatment requires several years of intervention and care; parents and caregivers end up facing financial and geographical hurdles to access this care. Thus, the use of virtual tools to improve the communication between health care providers and the adults responsible for children with cleft lip and palate is a potential resource to pass on knowledge. Objective: To create and evaluate a virtual learning environment for the development of children with craniofacial anomalies using occupational therapy techniques. Method: A virtual environment (website) was created using an adapted version of the Health-Related Web Site Evaluation Form Emory and then evaluated by five occupational therapists and five speech therapists. The result was subjected to descriptive and quantitative-qualitative treatment, also using the Emory's characteristics and way of analysis. Results: The quality of the website was considered "Adequate" by 81.1% of the respondents and its content according to age groups was considered "Excellent" by 94.3% of the respondents. Conclusion: The use of a virtual environment was relevant since it proved to be adequate and to have an excellent content for which it is intended. This result reinforces the idea that technology can benefit therapeutic processes and increase access to this specific treatment.