Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 15, 2026
Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
WELCOME: Digital transition of premature and newborn infants with special care needs to postdischarge care - study
Laura Sehn1,2, Melanie Otter3, Julia Will3
1Clinical Nursing Research and Quality Management Unit, LMU Hospital, Munich, Germany laura.sehn@med.uni-muenchen.de.
Insights
Telehealth interventions improve care for premature infants transitioning home. The WELCOME study assesses this approach
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Digital health interventions
- Healthcare delivery
Background:
- Transitioning premature infants home presents challenges for parents due to insufficient care education.
- This can increase readmission rates and healthcare costs.
- Telehealth offers a promising solution to enhance care for critically ill newborns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the WELCOME study's telehealth intervention for parents of premature infants.
- To improve parental self-efficacy and health literacy.
- To reduce 30-day readmissions and emergency care utilization.
Main Methods:
- A two-center randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 240 families with premature infants.
- Intervention group receives standard care plus video consultations, digital assessments, and 24/7 educational resources.
- Control group receives standard post-discharge care.
Main Results:
- The intervention is anticipated to be feasible with high acceptance and low dropout rates.
- Expected improvements in parental self-efficacy and health literacy.
- Primary outcomes focus on 30-day readmission and emergency care use; secondary outcomes include child development and parental health.
Conclusions:
- The WELCOME study protocol aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of telehealth in neonatal care.
- Successful implementation could inform standard post-discharge care for premature infants.
- This multimethod telehealth study provides insights into improving neonatal outcomes and parental support.
Introduction:
The transition from hospital to home can be challenging for parents of premature infants due to a lack of education on specific care. This may lead to both higher readmission rates and healthcare costs. Telehealth interventions can improve the quality of care specific to premature and critically ill newborns. This protocol outlines the WELCOME study and evaluates its feasibility and effectiveness of this approach.
Methods And Analysis:
This two-centre randomised control trial (RCT) will assign 240 families with premature and critically ill newborns to an intervention or control group. The study has a parallel group design and an exploratory framework. The control group will receive standard postdischarge care. The intervention group will additionally receive scheduled video consultations, digital assessments and 24/7 access to educational resources. Primary outcomes will focus on 30-day readmission and emergency care use. Secondary outcomes will include child development and parental health. The intervention is expected to be feasible, with high acceptance and minimal drop-out. It will aim to improve parents' self-efficacy and health literacy. If successful, insights from this multimethod telehealth study will inform standard care.
Ethics And Dissemination:
Results will be published in anonymised and summarised form in international and national journals and symposia. The study received ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (No. 25-0028) and was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register on 6 March 2025 (DRKS00034422).
Trial Registration Number:
DRKS00034422.
More Related Videos
11:50Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Published on: January 7, 2020
11:27A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
Published on: April 7, 2023
