Improving parent satisfaction: an intervention to increase neonatal parent-provider communication

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) care
• Medical communication
• Patient satisfaction

Background:

• Parental satisfaction with communication is crucial in neonatal care.
• Effective communication impacts the overall patient experience.
• Previous studies highlight communication gaps in NICU settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a targeted intervention on parental satisfaction with primary medical provider communication.
• To assess improvements in communication quality and quantity between providers and parents in a NICU.

Main Methods:

• Survey assessment of parents in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
• Serial cohorts surveyed pre- and post-intervention.
• Intervention included provider education, contact cards, and provider posters.

Main Results:

• Post-intervention cohort showed significantly higher satisfaction (95%) compared to pre-intervention (74%).
• Parents who spoke with a provider in the prior week reported higher satisfaction.
• Fewer families desired more frequent provider contact after the intervention.

Conclusions:

• A targeted intervention effectively enhanced parent satisfaction with provider communication in the NICU.
• Improving communication quality and quantity positively influenced parental satisfaction.
• Findings support the implementation of similar communication-focused interventions in neonatal care.