Anna Axelin1, Simo Raiskila2,3, Liisa Lehtonen2,3. 1. Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. 2. Department of Clinical Medicine, Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. 3. Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Preterm and sick infants benefit from parent-infant closeness and family-centered care (FCC) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Prospective and feasible tools are needed to measure these care practices to facilitate their implementation. AIMS: To describe the development process of three prospective data collection tools that measure parent-infant closeness and the quality of FCC. METHODS: Data collection tools were developed in an iterative process consisting of three development cycles. Feedback was gathered from parents, staff, and researchers. The first stages of development focused on the content validity, appropriate scaling, and optimization of the response rate of these tools. RESULTS: The study included parents of 490 infants and the nurses working at bedside in 15 NICUs in six countries. The Parent-Infant Closeness Diary was developed to measure the daily duration of parental presence, holding, and skin-to-skin contact. The optimal duration for daily diaries was 14 consecutive days to maintain a good response rate. Parents provided reliable documentation of parent-infant closeness. Digital FCC tools covering the nine aspects of FCC for parents and nurses were developed to measure the quality of FCC. Participants provided answers on a 7-point Likert scale. Parents' response rates remained >50% for approximately 1 month, and the nurses' mean response rate was 55% (39%-87%) for the 3-month study period. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: These new tools provide prospective daily information to aid the implementation of parent-infant closeness and the quality of FCC in NICU in different countries. They can be used to study and evaluate the implementation of these clinical practices NICUs in an international context.
BACKGROUND: Preterm and sick infants benefit from parent-infant closeness and family-centered care (FCC) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Prospective and feasible tools are needed to measure these care practices to facilitate their implementation. AIMS: To describe the development process of three prospective data collection tools that measure parent-infant closeness and the quality of FCC. METHODS: Data collection tools were developed in an iterative process consisting of three development cycles. Feedback was gathered from parents, staff, and researchers. The first stages of development focused on the content validity, appropriate scaling, and optimization of the response rate of these tools. RESULTS: The study included parents of 490 infants and the nurses working at bedside in 15 NICUs in six countries. The Parent-Infant Closeness Diary was developed to measure the daily duration of parental presence, holding, and skin-to-skin contact. The optimal duration for daily diaries was 14 consecutive days to maintain a good response rate. Parents provided reliable documentation of parent-infant closeness. Digital FCC tools covering the nine aspects of FCC for parents and nurses were developed to measure the quality of FCC. Participants provided answers on a 7-point Likert scale. Parents' response rates remained >50% for approximately 1 month, and the nurses' mean response rate was 55% (39%-87%) for the 3-month study period. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: These new tools provide prospective daily information to aid the implementation of parent-infant closeness and the quality of FCC in NICU in different countries. They can be used to study and evaluate the implementation of these clinical practices NICUs in an international context.
Authors: Barry M Lester; Katheleen Hawes; Beau Abar; Mary Sullivan; Robin Miller; Rosemarie Bigsby; Abbot Laptook; Amy Salisbury; Marybeth Taub; Linda L Lagasse; James F Padbury Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2014-09-22 Impact factor: 7.124
Authors: Roberta G Pineda; Jeff Neil; Donna Dierker; Christopher D Smyser; Michael Wallendorf; Hiroyuki Kidokoro; Lauren C Reynolds; Stephanie Walker; Cynthia Rogers; Amit M Mathur; David C Van Essen; Terrie Inder Journal: J Pediatr Date: 2013-10-17 Impact factor: 4.406
Authors: Felix B He; Anna Axelin; Sari Ahlqvist-Björkroth; Simo Raiskila; Eliisa Löyttyniemi; Liisa Lehtonen Journal: BMC Pediatr Date: 2021-01-11 Impact factor: 2.125
Authors: Liisa Lehtonen; Siri Lilliesköld; Kris De Coen; Liis Toome; Ana Gimeno; Sylvia Caballero; Rasa Tameliene; Sabine Laroche; Jana Retpap; Hege Grundt; Marie-Rose Van Hoestenberghe; Caryl Skene; Bernd Pape; Anna Axelin Journal: Front Psychol Date: 2022-07-22