Parents' Experience in an Italian NICU Implementing NIDCAP-Based Care: A Qualitative Study

Background: The birth of a preterm infant and his/her immediate admittance to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are sudden, unexpected, stressful and painful events for parents. In the last decade, in response to the increased awareness of the stressful experiences of parents, much attention has been paid to Family-Centered Care (FCC) and the implementation of the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP). According to the NIDCAP model, the infant-parents' dyad is the core of the care provided by the NICU professionals to reduce the stress experienced by parents. So far, the literature does not show a clear correlation between parental experiences and the NICU practices according NIDCAP principles. Aims: To explore how parents of preterm infants experienced the NIDCAP-based care from admission to discharge, in particular, their relationships with NICU professionals and with other parents, and the organization of the couple's daily activities during this process. Design: Qualitative exploratory study. Methods: Twelve parents of preterm infants born between January 2018 and December 2020 at the NICU of Modena, with a gestational age at birth of less than 30 weeks and/or a birth weight of less than 1250 g, were recruited. Three couples had twins, and the total number of infants was 15. All infants were followed for up to 24 months post-term age (PTA) for neurological outcomes. Each couple was given a semi-structured online interview about their experience during their infant's hospitalization in the NICU up to discharge. The interview was developed around three time points: birth, hospitalization and discharge. The data analysis was conducted according to the template analysis method. Results: The admission to the NICU was unexpected and extraordinary, and its impact was contained by the skilled staff who were capable of welcoming the parents and making them feel they were involved and active collaborators in the care of their infant. The emotional experience was compared to being in a blender; they were overwhelmed by changing emotions, ranging from terrible fear to extreme joy. The couple's activities of daily life were reorganized after the infant's birth and admission to the NICU. Fathers felt unbalanced and alone in taking care of their partners and their children. Conclusions: This is the first study in Italy to explore parental experience in an NICU implementing NIDCAP-based care. The NIDCAP approach in the NICU of Modena helps parents to be involved early, to develop parental skills, and to be prepared for the transition home; and it also facilitates and enhances the relationship between parents and NICU staff.

Nurses' Attitudes Regarding Family-Centered Care: Psychometric Properties and Survey Findings

Background and Purpose: Measuring the attitude of nurses toward the importance of involving families in nursing care is essential to implement family-centered care. We aim to examine the reliability and factor structure of the Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes questionnaire (FINC-NA-R). Methods: The psychometric properties of the FINC-NA-R were tested and the Dutch-revised version was used to assess the attitude of the nurses. Results: Principal component analysis confirmed a four-factor structure and the removal of four items achieved strong evidence of structural validity and internal consistency. Conclusions: The Dutch FINC-NA-R appeared to be a valid instrument to measure the attitude of nurses toward family-centered care.

Combining Evidence-Based Interventions to Support Mental Health in Neonatal Intensive Care Families

Families of infants requiring admission and care within the NICU experience a multitude of overwhelming stressors and challenges related to the severity and duration of their infant's illness and their unique life circumstances. These stressful experiences, traumas, and challenges can have long-term physical, emotional, financial, and psychological consequences for both the infant admitted to the NICU and their family. Combining evidence-based research and practices, family-centered care, enhanced multidisciplinary collaboration and communication, and mental health education into a multifaceted evidence-based mental health intervention will create opportunities for improved parental role attainment and infant attachment. The implementation of a standardized approach to providing comprehensive mental health support for families with infants needing NICU care will lower anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder rates leading to optimized family health and wellness and improved neurodevelopmental outcomes for their infants.

Family Structure Diversity and Youth Health Care Access and Interactions With Health Care Providers

Using data from the 2019 National Survey of Children's Health, we evaluated family structure differences in youth health care access and experiences. We found youth living with their married biological/adoptive parents generally had greater health care access than youth living in structurally diverse families. Differences, however, varied based on which aspect of health care access was examined and the specific types of structurally diverse families youth were living in. Youth living in single-father and other relative-headed families showed the most consistent differences in health care access from youth living with their married biological/adoptive parents. In terms of health care experiences, youth living in several structurally diverse families were more likely to have had time alone with health care providers. Furthermore, there were differences in family-centered care, but the effect size and magnitude of the differences were small.

Training Intervention and Program of Support for Fostering the Adoption of Family-Centered Telehealth in Pediatric Rehabilitation: Protocol for a Multimethod, Prospective, Hybrid Type 3 Implementation-Effectiveness Study

BACKGROUND

Children with disability face long wait times for rehabilitation services. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth adoption was low across pediatric rehabilitation. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, pediatric therapists were asked to rapidly shift to telehealth, often with minimal training. To facilitate the behavior changes necessary for telehealth adoption, provision of appropriate evidence-based training and support is required. However, evidence to support the effective implementation of such training is lacking. The successful real-world implementation of a training intervention and program of support (TIPS) targeting pediatric therapists to enhance the adoption of family-centered telerehabilitation (FCT) requires the evaluation of both implementation and effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate TIPS implementation in different pediatric rehabilitation settings and assess TIPS effectiveness, as it relates to therapists' adoption, service wait times, families' perception of service quality, and costs.

METHODS

This 4-year, pan-Canadian study involves managers, pediatric occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech-language pathologists, and families from 20 sites in 8 provincial jurisdictions. It will use a multimethod, prospective, hybrid type 3 implementation-effectiveness design. An interrupted time series will assess TIPS implementation. TIPS will comprise a 1-month training intervention with self-paced learning modules and a webinar, followed by an 11-month support program, including monthly site meetings and access to a virtual community of practice. Longitudinal mixed modeling will be used to analyze indicators of therapists' adoption of and fidelity to FCT collected at 10 time points. To identify barriers and facilitators to adoption and fidelity, qualitative data will be collected during implementation and analyzed using a deductive-inductive thematic approach. To evaluate effectiveness, a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design will use questionnaires to evaluate TIPS effectiveness at service, therapist, and family levels. Generalized linear mixed effects models will be used in data analysis. Manager, therapist, and family interviews will be conducted after implementation and analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. Finally, cost data will be gathered to calculate public system and societal costs.

RESULTS

Ethics approval has been obtained from 2 jurisdictions (February 2022 and July 2022); approval is pending in the others. In total, 20 sites have been recruited, and data collection is anticipated to start in September 2022 and is projected to be completed by September 2024. Data analysis will occur concurrently with data collection, with results disseminated throughout the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will generate knowledge about the effectiveness of TIPS targeting pediatric therapists to enhance FCT adoption in pediatric rehabilitation settings, identify facilitators for and barriers to adoption, and document the impact of telehealth adoption on therapists, services, and families. The study knowledge gained will refine the training intervention, enhance intervention uptake, and support the integration of telehealth as a consistent pediatric rehabilitation service option for families of children with disabilities.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05312827; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05312827.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/40218.

Integration of Mental Health Support Teams in COVID-19 Units within French General Hospitals: A Qualitative Study

Introduction

This study aimed to explore the lived experience of mental health professionals (mhPs) who had been redeployed on support teams (MHSTs) implemented in general hospital for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and their families, in order to scale up mental and physical health care integration in times of epidemic crisis.

Methods

This multicentered qualitative study followed an IPSE (Inductive Process to analyze the Structure of lived Experience) research design. MhPs' recruitment took place in three general hospitals of Seine-Seine-Denis department, in Paris suburbs (France).

Results

Twenty-two participants were included. Data analysis produced three central axes: 1) the mhP in the epidemic crisis, underlying how participants confronted the unknown and adapted; 2) retrieving fundamentals of support therapy, that were: being present and listening, bonding with patients' families, and ensuring care continuity; and 3) moving forward with other health professionals, highlighting the collaborative work they developed and experienced.

Discussion

The epidemic prompted mhPs to rethink the values likely to guide the integration of their intervention with other individual and organizational care stakeholders, at different levels of health system. Normative integration based on shared appraisal of patients' and families' needs is highly required to overcome the multiple and sometimes contradictory health issues inherent in the crisis.

Conclusion

Person- and family-centered approach of integrated care (IC) is essential to address fragmentation between mental and physical health care in times of epidemic crisis. Hospital and political leaders should support and draw from bottom-up mental health IC initiatives such as MHSTs, that embody this vision, in order to improve health systems preparedness for future crises.

Neonatal Nurses' Report of Family-Centered Care Resources and Practices

BACKGROUND

A paucity of studies describes the prevalence of family-centered care (FCC) practices and resources in US neonatal units.

PURPOSE

To identify US prevalence of FCC practices and resources and to identify the largest gaps in resource provision.

METHODS

Neonatal nurses completed an online survey through national conferences (eg, NANN educational conference), neonatal organization Web sites (eg, NANN research survey), and social media (eg, NANN and NPA Facebook). Nurses provided demographics and the National Perinatal Association Self-Assessment on Comprehensive Family Support, a 61-item checklist of FCC practices and resources from 6 categories: family-centered developmental care, staff education/support, peer support, palliative care, discharge education, and mental health support.

RESULTS

Nurses (n = 103) reported lowest resources for Peer Support and Mental Health Support. About a third had a neonatal intensive care unit parent advisory committee (n = 39; 37.9%). Only 43.7% (n = 45) had necessary amenities for families to stay with their infants. Less than a third felt that mental health professionals were adequately staffed to provide counseling to parents (n = 28; 27.5%). Very few nurses had adequate training on providing parents psychological support (n = 16; 15.8%). More than half (n = 58; 56.3%) stated that all staff receive training in family-centered developmental care. Finally, less than half (n = 42; 40.8%) stated that staff see parents as equal members of the care team.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

We demonstrate a consistent and widespread lack of training provided to neonatal staff in nearly every aspect of comprehensive FCC support.

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH

Researchers need to identify unit/organizational interventions that increase adoption and implementation of FCC practices and resources.

Patients' and Relatives' Experiences of Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit-A Qualitative Study

(1) Introduction: Delirium is a cognitive disorder that affects up to 80% of ICU patients and has many negative consequences. The occurrence of delirium in an ICU patient also negatively affects the relatives caring for these patients. The aim of this study was to explore patients' and their families' experiences of delirium during their ICU stay. (2) Method: The study used a qualitative design based on phenomenology as a research method. A semi-structured interview method was used to achieve the aim. The responses of patients and their families were recorded and transcribed, and the data were coded and analyzed. (3) Results: Eight interviews were conducted with past ICU patients who developed delirium during hospitalization and their family members. The mean age of the participants was 71 years. Of the eight patients, 2 (25%) were female and 6 (75%) were male. The relationships of the 8 carers with the patients were wife (in 4 cases), daughter (in 2 cases), and son (in 2 cases). The average length of time a patient stayed in the ICU was 24 days. The following themes were extracted from the interviews: education, feelings before the delirium, pain, thirst, the day after, talking to the family/patient, and return home. (4) Conclusions: Post-delirium patients and their families feel that more emphasis should be placed on information about delirium. Most patients feel embarrassed and ashamed about events during a delirium episode. Patients fear the reaction of their families when delirium occurs. Patients' families are not concerned about their relatives returning home and believe that the home environment will allow them to forget the delirium events more quickly during hospitalization.

Family-oriented interventions in long-term care residential facilities for older people: A scoping review of the characteristics and outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Family-oriented interventions in long-term care (LTC) residential facilities are heterogenous in design, characteristics, and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To synthesize characteristics (e.g., type, provider, and duration) and outcomes of family-oriented interventions in LTC residential facilities.

METHODS

We followed the JBI methodology and searched seven databases for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies that reported family-oriented interventions in LTC residential settings for older people; defined in this review as ≥60 years. Interventions that included residents, resident families, health professionals, or any combinations of these three were included if the study reported post-intervention assessment of at least one family-related outcome.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Interventions were found to be multifaceted, and education was the most common element. Nurses were the most common intervenors, and most interventions had more than one target (residents, resident families, or staff). Most outcomes were related to family involvement, satisfaction with care, quality of life, communication, symptom management, and shared decision making, and none of the studies reported a negative impact.

CONCLUSIONS

Family-oriented interventions were associated with high care quality and better resident-staff-family partnership. Staff education and staff-family conversation are relatively cheap interventions to help family involvement, facilitate shared decision-making, and improve family satisfaction.

A Qualitative Study of Clinicians and Parents of Children with Severe Neurological Impairment on Tools to Support Family-Centered Care

Background: Children with severe neurological impairment (SNI) have complex conditions and require family-centered care, yet, this is challenging in the hospital. Objectives: To describe themes related to building parent-clinician rapport and to examine ways to promote family-centered care for children with SNI. Design: Post hoc secondary analysis of data from a qualitative cross-sectional study. Setting/Subjects: Semistructured interviews conducted between August 2019 and February 2020 with parents of children with SNI and interprofessional clinicians at a single tertiary children's hospital in the United States. Measurement: Data from codes pertaining to strategies to promote therapeutic alliance were extracted for inductive thematic analysis and to collate ideas for tools suggested by participants. The research team iteratively discussed each proposed tool, developed an example representative depiction, and expanded upon potential opportunities and limitations of the tools' practical implementation. Results: Twenty-five parents/legal guardians and 25 interprofessional clinicians participated. The median age of parents/legal guardians was 38 [interquartile range 35,48]. Sixty-eight percent (n = 17) identified as mothers and 68% (n = 17) identified as white. Clinicians were predominantly female (84%, n = 21) and represented 8 professions and 15 specialties. Themes and suggested tools included (1) continuity of previous decision-making conversations and the decision roadmap tool, (2) maintaining family communication preferences and the relational handoff tool, and (3) recognizing the abilities of each individual child and the developmental inventory tool. Conclusions: Family-centered care for parents of children with SNI may be bolstered by continuity in decision making, maintaining parents' communication preferences, and appreciating the child's individual abilities. Clinical tools may provide opportunities to promote these concepts.

A Quality Improvement Project to Support Post-Intensive Care Unit Patients with COVID-19: Structured Telephone Support

BACKGROUND

More than 50% of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors suffer from long-lasting physical, psychosocial, and cognitive health impairments, also called "post-intensive care syndrome" (PICS). Intensive care admission during the COVID-19 pandemic was especially uncertain and stressful, both for patients and for their family. An additional risk of developing symptoms of PICS was feared in the absence of structural aftercare for the patient and family shortly after discharge from the hospital. The purpose of this quality improvement study was to identify PICS symptoms and to support post-intensive care patients and families in the transition from the hospital to the home. Therefore, we offered post-ICU patients and families structured telephone support (STS).

METHODS

This was a quality improvement study during the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic. A project team developed and implemented a tool to structure telephone calls to identify and order symptoms according to the PICS framework and to give individual support based on this information. We supported post-ICU patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia and their family caregivers within four weeks after hospital discharge. The reported findings were both quantitative and qualitative.

RESULTS

Forty-six post-ICU patients received structured telephone support and reported symptoms in at least one of the three domains of the PICS framework. More than half of the patients experienced a loss of strength or condition and fatigue. Cognitive and psychological impairments were reported less frequently. Family caregivers reported fewer impairments concerning fatigue and sleeping problems and expressed a need for a continuity of care. Based on the obtained information, the ICU nurse practitioners were able to check if individual care plans were optimal and clear and, if indicated, initiated disciplines to optimize further follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of the STS tool gave insight in the impairments of post-ICU patients. Surprisingly, family caregivers expressed fewer impairments. Giving support early after hospital discharge in a structured way may contribute to providing guidance in the individual care plans and treatment of the early symptoms of PICS (-F).

[Shared Decision-Making in Care for Pediatric Patients With Cancer: Practices and Challenges]

Shared decision-making (SDM) is a process of patient-centered clinical reasoning used to promote mutual respect and communication between doctors and patients. The medical team provides empirical data on different treatments. After communicating with patients and families, they discuss and exchange information with each other to achieve the best results from the available treatment options. Therefore, SDM is a current clinical care trend that may improve patients' disease knowledge and decrease treatment-related conflicts. However, SDM has not been extended to children and adolescents. This literature review article introduces the philosophy of SDM and practices and challenges of implementing SDM in children with cancer. We believe this article will enrich the clinical practice of SDM in children with cancer and improve related quality of care and family-centered care.

Comprehensive and Innovative Clinical Tools for Nurses and Parents to Help Promote Family and Sibling Adaptation in the NICU

Family-centered care (FCC) in NICUs aims to support parents and children facing the distressing experience of a preterm infant's NICU hospitalization. Neonatal nurses must also have proper knowledge of the support interventions for parents' and siblings' adaptation during the NICU hospitalization. This paper describes comprehensive and innovative clinical tools which consist of a clinical reference guide for nurses, a website for parents, and a storybook for siblings to promote families' adaptation, and help parents support their older children during NICU hospitalization. Based on scientific evidence and the family systems nursing approach, these comprehensive and innovative clinical tools for nurses, parents, and siblings contribute, through their development and implementation, to enhancing FCC and the quality of nursing care to families.

Exploring the Lived Experience of Families Waiting for Surgical Patients: A Qualitative Study

Family-centered care is an important aspect of perioperative nursing, especially during the perioperative waiting period that separates patients from their families or significant others. However, there is a lack of understanding on what waiting means to family members or significant others. In this hermeneutic phenomenological study, we explored the lived experiences of family members waiting for surgical patients. We identified a shared experience during waiting that we called a "time to focus on self." We identified five supporting themes that shaped this meaning of waiting: the environment, activities, communication, expectations, and feelings. The perioperative waiting experience may be a necessary time of self-reflection and self-care for family members when responsibilities for loved ones are temporarily on hold. Perioperative nurses can provide family-centered interventions to address the physical and emotional needs of individuals who are waiting and improve their experience.

Professionals' narratives of interactions with patients' families in intensive care

Background: ICU patients' family members are in a new, uncertain, and vulnerable situation due to the patient's critical illness and complete dependence on the ICU nurses and physicians. Family members' feeling of being cared for is closely linked to clinicians' attitudes and behavior.Aim: To explore ICU nurses' and physicians' bedside interaction with critically ill ICU patients´ families and discuss this in light of the ethics of care.Research design: A qualitative study using participant observation, focus groups, and thematic narrative analysis.Participants and research context: Data were gathered from July 2017 to August 2019, in four ICUs in Norway through 270 h of fieldwork and seven focus groups with ICU nurses and physicians.Ethical considerations: The Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics and the Norwegian Centre for Research Data approved the study. Findings: Quality of ICU family care depends on nurses' and physicians' attitudes, behavior, and personality traits. Three main themes were identified: being attentive, an active approach, and degree of tolerance.Discussion: The findings are discussed in light of the ethics of care and empirical research from the intensive care environment.Conclusions: This study shows that attentive, active, and tolerant clinicians represent a culture of ethical care that gives families greater freedom of action and active participation in patient care. Clinicians must not bear sole responsibility for this culture; it must have a firm basis in the hospital and ICU and be established through training, interprofessional reflection, and support of clinicians.

Psychometric Properties of an Instrument to Measure the Quality of Family-Centered Care in NICUs

OBJECTIVE

To examine the psychometric properties of the Digi Family-Centered Care-Parent Version (DigiFCC-P), which was developed to measure parents' perceptions of family-centered care (FCC) in NICUs.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional psychometric study.

SETTING

Twenty-three NICUs in 15 countries in Europe, Canada, and Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

Mothers (n = 565) and fathers (n = 406) of preterm infants hospitalized in NICUs.

METHODS

Participants reported their perceptions of the quality of FCC during their infants' hospitalizations by answering one DigiFCC-P question delivered to their mobile phones every evening. Nine questions rotated in random order. Participants responded on a 7-point Likert scale. We evaluated the instrument's internal consistency, construct and concurrent validity, and sensitivity.

RESULTS

The internal consistency of the DigiFCC-P was satisfactory; the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was .74 (95% confidence interval [.71, .77]), and all the corrected item-total correlations were greater than .30. We identified that the items formed two factors, support from staff and the parent's active participation, and observed no strong item cross-loadings on the two factors. We discovered some items with weak interitem correlations, and the two factors explained 35.2% of the variance. Scores on the DigiFCC-P and Family-Centered Care Questionnaire were significantly correlated (r = .59, p < .001) and supported the convergent validity of the instrument. In addition, changes were discovered in the participants' ratings over time, which indicated that the instrument was sensitive to detect changes in their evaluations.

CONCLUSION

The psychometric testing of the DigiFCC-P provided initial support for the convergent validity and reliability of the instrument. The instrument was also sensitive in detecting changes in the evaluations of FCC over time. However, there is a need for further development of the content validity of the instrument.

Ten Years of Neonatal Intensive Care Adaption to the Infants' Needs: Implementation of a Family-Centered Care Model with Single-Family Rooms in Norway

Ten years ago, the Neonatal intensive care unit in Drammen, Norway, implemented Single-Family Rooms (SFR), replacing the traditional open bay (OB) unit. Welcoming parents to stay together with their infant 24 h per day, seven days per week, was both challenging and inspiring. The aim of this paper is to describe the implementation of SFR and how they have contributed to a cultural change among the interprofessional staff. Parents want to participate in infant care, but to do so, they need information and supervision from nurses, as well as emotional support. Although SFR protect infants and provide private accommodation for parents, nurses may feel isolated and lack peer support. Our paper describes how we managed to systematically reorganize the nurse's workflow by using a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle approach. Significant milestones are identified, and the implementation processes are displayed. The continuous parental presence has changed the way we perceive the family as a care recipient and how we involve the parents in daily care. We provide visions for the future with further developments of care adapted to infants' needs by providing neonatal intensive care with parents as equal partners.

Older Preemies: How Their Fight Continues So Let's Do Better in the NICU

Premature infants grow up and tell the survival in outcomes. From the heyday of neonatology, nurses have been instrumental in helping these babies survive and thrive enough to go home. Yet, families need coping mechanisms in dealing with the NICU trauma otherwise they will go home and treat their child as if everything is just fine. It isn't fine, and trauma, labels combine to create a hornet's nest of dysfunction in the family that ultimate erases that baby's long-term potential and affects them poorly for the rest of their lives. We need to do better.

Minding the Gap: Adolescent and Parent/Caregiver Reporter Discrepancies on Symptom Presence, Impact of Covariates, and Clinical Implications

INTRODUCTION

Primary care practitioners (PCPs) provide care to adolescents in the context of their families. Supporting parent/caregiver knowledge of symptoms can create opportunities for better recognition of symptoms that can then lead to early identification, intervention, and prevention of poor outcomes.

METHOD

Cross-sectional comparative study of parent/caregiver reported versus adolescent reported symptom presence of anhedonia and depressed mood in the participants of ABCD Study.

RESULTS

Large discrepancies exist between adolescent and parent-reported presence of symptoms.

DISCUSSION

Improving understanding of the etiology, covariates, and patterns of discrepancies may improve primary care assessment, adolescent access to care, and intervention for adolescents and their families. Furthermore, providing education to families about symptom features, working to improve adolescent-caregiver communication, promoting adolescent advocacy, and connecting families to community resources are important attributes of primary care and areas of adolescent and family functioning that primary care providers can strengthen.

Keeping Families Close: A Hospital-Sponsored Boarder Program That Facilitates Parents' Presence at the Infant's Bedside

The Boarder Program is a unique, family-centered program designed to keep a mother and her infant together when the mother has been discharged, but her infant requires additional medical attention and hospitalization. The hospital-sponsored program includes a room in the obstetric department, meals, and services. This provides the mother and second caregiver the opportunity to participate in their infant's physical care and engage in the decision-making process. The program is designed to support families with infants in an intermediate care nursery and has been expanded to include infants experiencing neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). The purpose of this article is to describe the Boarder Program at a community medical center, share its history, and provide evidence-based support for the effectiveness of this model.

An Approach to Family-Centered Electronic Health Records in Pediatrics

Over the years, family-centered care in the field of pediatrics has become more prevalent and has improved the patient experience. Recent innovations within electronic health records (EHR), such as patient portals, have provided a more “patient-centered” approach by allowing patients to be interactive with the EHR and have greater agency of their own healthcare. There are also ample opportunities within an EHR to improve the patient experience with delivery of family-centered care. In this perspective, we discuss the design and use of a family-centered EHR for the purposes of optimizing the pediatric patient experience.

The effect of an ICU liaison nurse-led family-centred transition intervention program in an adult ICU

BACKGROUND

ICUs follow a restrictive companionship policy, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak. This strategy often limits the time families spend with patients, hinders their knowledge and skills in caregiving, and the sudden transfer of ICU patients to assist with disease monitoring and daily care can be very stressful for families. It is beneficial to use the transition period of transferring ICU patients to help families adjust to the role of caregiver.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To develop and implement a patient- and family-centered transitional care intervention plan for patients transferred to the ICU.

DESIGN

Prospective, pretest and posttest design.

METHODS

The experimental group received an individualized family-centered transition plan led by the ICU liaison nurse that included 1) communication with health care professionals; distribution of a transfer booklet; 2) identification of nursing issues and communication with the ward nurse; invitation of family members to participate in the patient's rehabilitation; 3) follow-up instruction on bedside range of motion exercises; and provision of a patient rehabilitation diary. Patients in the control group received only routine care. Data were collected using the General Information Questionnaire, Family Satisfaction with ICU Patients (FS-ICU), the Family Relocation Stress Scale (FRSS), and the Stanford Acute Stress Response Questionnaire (SASRQR).

RESULTS

After the intervention, the total family satisfaction score of ICU patients in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (87.18 ± 8.38 vs 78.74 ± 10.63, p<0.001), and the satisfaction with the care and information provided was significantly higher in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.001), with no significant difference between the two groups in terms of satisfaction with decision making (p>0.001). The level of relocation stress of patients' families was significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group after the intervention (p < 0.001). And there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of patients' acute stress disorder scores (p>0.001).

CONCLUSION

The implementation of a family-involved transition care programme significantly improved the satisfaction of ICU patients' families and reduced the stress of relocation for patients' families.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Focusing on the transition of ICU patients to ensure continuity of critical care and improve the quality of care for ICU patient transfers can be accomplished through a family-centered transition care plan led by the ICU liaison nurse.

Disparities in Patient- and Family-Centered Care Among Children With Health Conditions

The objective of this study was to estimate and compare the prevalence of patient- and family-centered cae (PFCC) received by children in the United States (US) with chronic and developmental health conditions and determine associations between the presence of the conditions and parents' perceptions of PFCC after controlling for covariates. Linked data from the 2012-2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and 2013-2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (n = 7,835) were tested using crude and adjusted logistic regression procedures. Parents of children with developmental delays had 32% lower odds (95% CI = 0.51-0.90) of reporting their healthcare provider always exhibited all PFCC qualities. Parents of children with allergies and developmental delays had 26% (95% CI = 0.58-0.95) and 42% (95% CI = 0.42-0.80) lower odds of reporting their provider always listened carefully compared to parents whose children did not. Findings demonstrate the importance of continuous training for providers to tailor communication for families who have children with health conditions.

Lower Maternal Chronic Physiological Stress and Better Child Behavior at 18 Months: Follow-Up of a Cluster Randomized Trial of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Family Integrated Care

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether Family Integrated Care (FICare) in the neonatal intensive care unit improves maternal chronic physiological stress and child behavior at 18 months of corrected age for infants born preterm.

STUDY DESIGN

Follow-up of a multicenter, prospective cluster-randomized controlled trial comparing FICare and standard care of children born at <33 weeks of gestation and parents, stratified by tertiary neonatal intensive care units, across Canada. Primary outcomes at 18 months of corrected age were maternal stress hormones (cortisol, ie, hair cumulative cortisol [HCC], dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA]) assayed from hair samples. Secondary outcomes included maternal reports of parenting stress, child behaviors (Internalizing, Externalizing, Dysregulation), and observer-rated caregiving behaviors. Outcomes were analyzed using multilevel modeling.

RESULTS

We included 126 mother-child dyads from 12 sites (6 FICare sites, n = 83; 6 standard care sites, n = 43). FICare intervention significantly lowered maternal physiological stress as indicated by HCC (B = -0.22 [-0.41, -0.04]) and cortisol/DHEA ratio (B = -0.25 [-0.48, -0.02]), but not DHEA (B = 0.01 [-0.11, 0.14]). Enrollment in FICare led to lower child Internalizing (B = -0.93 [-2.33, 0.02]) and Externalizing behavior T scores (B = -0.91 [-2.25, -0.01]) via improvements to maternal HCC (mediation). FICare buffered the negative effects of high maternal HCC on child Dysregulation T scores (B = -11.40 [-23.01, 0.21]; moderation). For mothers reporting high parenting stress at 18 months, FICare was related to lower Dysregulation T scores via maternal HCC; moderated mediation = -0.17 (-0.41, -0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

FICare has long-term beneficial effects for mother and child, attenuating maternal chronic physiological stress, and improving child behavior in toddlerhood.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT01852695.

Community, Hope, and Resilience: Parental Perspectives on Peer Support in Neonatology

OBJECTIVES

To describe the perspective of parents who participated in peer-to-peer support meetings with parents of children in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and veteran resource parents with previous NICU experience.

STUDY DESIGN

During a longitudinal evaluation in a tertiary care NICU, participating parents were asked to evaluate meetings; with open-ended questions, they were asked about their perspectives. Results were analyzed using mixed methods.

RESULTS

Forty-five NICU parents participated over a 10-week study period. They were followed longitudinally after attending at least 1 of the 10 meetings offered; 95% of parents (43 of 45) reported that the meeting was useful to them and gave an overall evaluation of 8.7 out of 10 (average). For each meeting, all the subjects on the checklist of the moderators (veteran resource parents) were discussed with new parents. When describing why and how the meetings were useful to them in their answers to open-ended questions, NICU parents reported 3 major themes: (1) decreasing isolation and being a community (73%), (2) hope and resilience (63%), and (3) getting practical "parent" information (32%). Sharing stories with parents who also had experienced loss, sadness, and grief, NICU parents trusted that it was possible to adapt and thrive. The meetings normalized parents' emotions (92%), decreased negative emotions (eg, anger, sadness, guilt), empowered them in their parental role, and helped them communicate with loved ones and providers.

CONCLUSIONS

Peer support meetings are a unique and useful means to support parents. Future investigations will investigate whether and how this type of intervention can improve clinical outcomes.