Enhancing Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Paternal Satisfaction: A Comparative Study of Traditional vs....

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Artificial Intelligence
• Communication studies

Background:

• Parental admission to the NICU is stressful.
• Effective communication is vital but challenging for clinicians.
• AI chatbots may enhance parental satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of AI-integrated counseling on paternal satisfaction in the NICU.

Main Methods:

• Observational study in a Level III NICU in North India.
• 180 fathers quasi-randomly assigned to traditional or AI-integrated counseling (ChatGPT).
• Paternal satisfaction measured using a 10-item NICU Parental Satisfaction Score.

Main Results:

• AI-integrated group reported significantly higher satisfaction (median 41 vs 35, p < 0.0001).
• No participants in the AI group scored below 30, unlike 25% in the traditional group.
• Demographics and neonatal characteristics were comparable between groups.

Conclusions:

• Generative AI-enhanced counseling improved parental experience in the NICU.
• AI integration can enhance clarity, accessibility, and empathy in neonatal communication with safeguards and oversight.