Understanding family-centered care in the NICU: a scoping review protocol

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Pediatric nursing
• Family-centered care

Background:

• Family-centered care (FCC) is crucial for neonates in the NICU, with evidence showing improved clinical outcomes when families are involved.
• A lack of a unifying definition and framework for FCC hinders the categorization and optimization of practices and interventions.
• Associated terms and concepts surrounding FCC create complexity in its application and study.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and categorize definitions of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) family-centered care (FCC) and related concepts.
• To identify and categorize the specific practices and interventions that constitute NICU FCC.
• To catalog the metrics currently used to evaluate the effectiveness of NICU FCC.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review following JBI methodology, reported using PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
• Inclusion of studies applying FCC concepts or associated terms exclusively within the NICU setting.
• Data extraction via modified JBI tool, presented through narrative summaries, concept mapping, and categorization.

Main Results:

• Categorization of diverse FCC definitions and associated concepts within the NICU context.
• Identification and classification of various FCC practices and interventions implemented in NICUs.
• Cataloging of metrics used to assess FCC outcomes and effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive understanding of NICU FCC definitions, practices, and metrics is established.
• The review provides a foundation for standardizing and optimizing FCC approaches in neonatal care.
• Findings can guide future research and clinical implementation to enhance family and infant well-being in the NICU.