Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Impact of an EMR-Based Daily Patient Update Letter on Communication and Parent Engagement in a Neonatal Intensive
Jonathan P Palma1, Heather Keller, Margie Godin
1Department of Clinical Informatics, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, CA ; Division of Systems Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA ; Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
Insights
Electronic medical record (EMR) data in daily patient update letters improved parent engagement in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Parents found the letters useful, increasing their perceived competence in managing their baby's health information.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) care
- Health Informatics
- Patient Engagement Strategies
Background:
- Effective communication and parent engagement are crucial in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs).
- Traditional communication methods may not fully meet the needs of parents in high-stress NICU environments.
- The integration of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) offers potential for innovative patient communication tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of EMR-generated daily patient update letters on communication and parent engagement in a level II NICU.
- To evaluate parental satisfaction and information utility of the EMR-based communication tool.
- To determine if the EMR-generated letter influences parents' perceived competence regarding their infant's health status.
Main Methods:
- A pre- and post-implementation survey design was used.
- Parents of infants in a level II NICU were surveyed before and after the introduction of the 'Your Baby's Daily Update' (YBDU) letter.
- Data analysis focused on usage rates, perceived usefulness, satisfaction, information source comparison, parental knowledge, and perceived competence.
Main Results:
- 89% of families utilized the YBDU letter, with 83% finding it 'very useful' and 96% liking its receipt.
- No significant difference was observed in information receipt from attending physicians pre- and post-implementation (81% vs. 78%, p=1).
- While parental knowledge showed no significant improvement, a trend towards significance was noted (p<.1), and perceived competence in managing health information significantly increased (p=.039).
Conclusions:
- Implementing EMR-generated daily patient update letters is feasible in a level II NICU setting.
- The YBDU letter shows a trend towards improved communication and significantly enhances parent engagement, specifically perceived competence in managing health information.
- EMR-driven communication tools can be valuable for improving the NICU parent experience.
Objective:
To evaluate the impact of using electronic medical record (EMR) data in the form of a daily patient update letter on communication and parent engagement in a level II neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Study Design:
Parents of babies in a level II NICU were surveyed before and after the introduction of an EMR-generated daily patient update letter, Your Baby's Daily Update (YBDU).
Results:
Following the introduction of the EMR-generated daily patient update letter, 89% of families reported using YBDU as an information source; 83% of these families found it "very useful", and 96% of them responded that they "always" liked receiving it. Rates of receiving information from the attending physician were not statistically significantly different pre- and post-implementation, 81% and 78%, respectively (p = 1). Though there was no statistically significant improvement in parents' knowledge of individual items regarding the care of their babies, a trend towards statistical significance existed for several items (p <.1), and parents reported feeling more competent to manage information related to the health status of their babies (p =.039).
Conclusion:
Implementation of an EMR-generated daily patient update letter is feasible, resulted in a trend towards improved communication, and improved at least one aspect of parent engagement-perceived competence to manage information in the NICU.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Methods of Documentation VII: EMR
01:08Role of Communication in the Nursing Process III: Evaluation and Documentation
01:30Current Trends in Nursing II
01:25Types of Reports I: Hand-off Report
Following are the key components and categories of hand-off reports:
Purpose and Process:
01:25Role of Communication in the Nursing Process II: Planning and Implementation
01:11Purpose of Health Records I
Here's a breakdown of how health records serve these purposes: