Enhancing NICU Care and Communication: Perspectives of Moderately Preterm Infant Parents

Moderately preterm infants (MPTI) comprise a large proportion of NICU admissions and are an understudied population. The unique experience of families with MPTIs has yet to be examined in the literature. Describing MPTI parent needs and preferences may inform interventions to improve care and outcomes for this population.

Semistructured qualitative interviews were performed with English-speaking birth parents of infants born between 32 and 34 weeks gestation to describe their NICU experience and identify areas for improvement specifically surrounding care team inclusion, education, discharge, and communication. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using directed content analysis. Enrollment ceased when the data reached thematic saturation.

Sixteen birth parents participated. Four themes emerged around parent-medical team connectedness, parental confusion, discharge readiness, and the desire for a use of a mix of in-person and electronic communication methods (e-mail, texting, apps, etc) for communication. MPTI parents valued a strong connection with the medical team; however, they described a lack of knowledge regarding the reasons for admission and ongoing management. Near discharge, parents desired more information regarding feeding, reflux, and breathing patterns. Parents preferred in-person discussions but described a role for electronic methods to improve their understanding of their infant and discharge readiness.

From the MPTI parent perspective, clinicians can focus improvement efforts on communication, specifically around reasons for admission, discharge planning, and anticipatory guidance. These results may serve as a foundation for initiatives to improve the MPTI parent experience and potentially parent and MPTI outcomes.