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Needs Perceived by Parents of Preterm Infants: Integrating Care Into the Early Discharge Process
Isabel Toral-López1, Manuel Fernández-Alcántara2, Pilar González-Carrión3
1Andalusian Health Service, Granada, Spain.
Insights
Parents of preterm infants found early discharge programs beneficial for emotional support and skill acquisition. However, improved coordination and information sharing are crucial for a smoother transition home.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Parental adaptation
- Healthcare program evaluation
Background:
- Preterm birth significantly impacts parental emotional well-being, especially with prolonged hospital stays.
- Early discharge programs aim to ease the transition home for families with preterm infants.
- Limited research exists on parental needs and the effectiveness of early discharge programs in meeting them.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the experiences and challenges faced by parents of preterm infants during hospitalization and post-discharge.
- To assess the perceived benefits and drawbacks of early discharge programs from the parents' perspective.
- To identify specific parental needs unmet by current early discharge programs.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing semi-structured interviews.
- Inclusion of 23 parents of preterm infants.
- Thematic analysis conducted using Atlas.ti 6.2 software.
Main Results:
- Preterm birth profoundly affects parents emotionally upon initial diagnosis.
- Key themes identified include emotional experiences and care obstacles during hospitalization and at home.
- Parents reported early discharge programs as valuable for emotional support and learning neonatal care skills.
Conclusions:
- Parents perceive early discharge programs as highly useful for managing emotional challenges and gaining care skills.
- A significant need exists for better coordination and clarity in information provided to parents regarding infant health.
- First-time parenthood may be a significant factor influencing parental experiences, warranting further investigation.
Unlabelled:
The birth of a preterm infant can have a great emotional impact on the parents when the length of stay is long. Early discharge programs facilitate the transition to the home and have beneficial effects on both the parents and children. However, only a few studies have been conducted to identify the real needs of parents of preterm infants and to determine whether early discharge programs meet such needs. The main objective of this study was to identify the experiences and obstacles, during hospitalization and after discharge, of fathers and mothers of preterm infants who did or did not participate in an early discharge program.
Method:
A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was performed and included 23 parents of preterm infants. Thematic analysis was performed with the assistance of Atlas.ti 6.2 software.
Results:
Two main themes were identified: the emotional experience and obstacles to care during hospitalization and the emotional experiences and obstacles at home related to the early discharge program. The results indicated that preterm birth initially has a deep emotional impact on parents.
Discussion:
There is a remarkable lack of coordination regarding the information provided to parents on their infant's health status. Being first-time parents seems to be an important factor, although further evidence supporting this notion should be provided.
Conclusion:
Parents considered early discharge programs to be very useful in addressing the emotional aspects of hospitalization and the acquisition of neonatal care skills. Parents claim that the coordination and the information provided should be improved.
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