An Extended Home Visit Programme Within the Swedish Child Healthcare System for First-Time Parents in Scania, Sweden:...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Social Work

Background:

• Sweden's Child Healthcare (CHC) system provides universal care, including two home visits in the first year.
• An extended home visit program, Grow Safely, was piloted in Scania for first-time parents.
• This program offers six visits over 15 months, involving CHC nurses, social workers, midwives, and dental assistants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the experiences of participants in the extended home visit program.
• To assess perceived benefits on child/family health, parent-child interaction, and societal attitudes.
• To examine the implementation and stakeholder expectations of the program.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews with parents and professionals.
• Quantitative follow-up questionnaires.
• Interviews with policymakers and managers.

Main Results:

• The study is ongoing, focusing on data collection through interviews and questionnaires.
• Analysis will explore participant experiences and perceived benefits.
• Implementation and stakeholder perspectives are also being investigated.

Conclusions:

• Home visits are recognized as effective for child and parent well-being.
• Evaluating this significant investment is crucial for program sustainability.
• Findings will guide future policy for enhanced child healthcare support in Sweden.