B. Tang1,2, J. K. Chica1,2, N. B. Hebballi1,2, M. A. Bartz-Kurycki1,2, E. I. Garcia1,2, K. C. Kelly3, C. U. Aneji3,5, E. A. Hillman3,5, C. G. Kerl1,2, K. Tsao1,2, M. T. Austin1,2 1McGovern Medical School at UTHealth,Department Of Pediatric Surgery,Houston, TX, USA 2Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital,Department Of Pediatric Surgery,Houston, TX, USA 3Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital,Division Of Neonatology,Houston, TX, USA 4Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth,Houston, TX, USA 5McGovern Medical School at UTHealth,Department Of Pediatrics,Houston, TX, USA
Introduction: The transition from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to home can be a period of high parental stress, which may lead to a negative impact on the healthcare outcome of the infant. There are many factors that influence this discharge process, as well as the immediate period at home after discharge. Our aim was to evaluate potential barriers to a successful discharge and identify opportunities to improve the transition to home by surveying parents of recent NICU graduates.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was developed in English and Spanish and included the following categories: pregnancy course, pre-discharge education, post-discharge needs, and general demographics. The survey was revised based on stakeholder feedback and then administered to parents of infants discharged from our NICU between January 1, 2018 and July 30, 2018. The surveys were conducted in our institution’s high-risk infant and pediatric surgery clinics.
Results: A total of 45 parents of recent NICU graduates were surveyed. Of the 45 survey responses, 37 were in English and 8 in Spanish. About 1/2 of the infants were discharged with durable medical equipment (DMEs). The most common DMEs were feeding tubes and supplementary oxygen. Of the families discharged with DMEs, all reported that they felt comfortable with the instructions given prior to discharge. However, after discharge, 25% reported it took longer than one week to feel comfortable using their DMEs. About 1/3 of all parents reported never referring to the discharge paperwork provided to them by the NICU. Of the 10 respondents who referred to the discharge paperwork daily, 6 completed the survey in Spanish. When asking about the use of technology, 75% of families reported that they own either a smartphone or a tablet. Of these, about ½ already use their smartphone in the care of their child, and 3/4 strongly agree or agree that they would utilize a telehealth application to help with the care of their child.
Conclusion: Although most parents of NICU graduates reported feeling comfortable with the discharge process, they often did not feel comfortable in caring for their infants at home. In addition, a large percentage of families do not refer to discharge paperwork for information following discharge. However, many already use mobile health tools to help care for their child and the majority are in favor of a telehealth application specifically designed to support parents in caring for NICU graduates.