Development and implementation of a coordinated, multicentre CHD-focused skin-to-skin-a-thon

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Pediatric cardiology
• Quality improvement initiatives

Background:

• Skin-to-skin care (SSC) is vital for infant and parent well-being, promoting stability, growth, bonding, and stress reduction.
• A 'skin-to-skin-a-thon' is a structured event to boost SSC awareness and implementation via education and engagement.
• A multicentre SSC event for infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) had not been previously described.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the coordinated, multicentre implementation of a skin-to-skin-a-thon for infants with CHD.
• To assess the feasibility of using collaborative infrastructure and virtual media for evidence-based practice implementation.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-two hospitals were recruited via a national collaborative for coordinated planning and resource sharing.
• Participating sites adapted standardized 'site champion bundles' (educational materials, promotional tools) to local guidelines.
• Sites reported on educational initiatives, promotional strategies, and perceived organizational difficulty.

Main Results:

• All 22 sites had existing SSC guidelines; 9 updated or developed them pre-event.
• Educational and awareness activities were conducted in cardiac intensive care and step-down units.
• Internal email was the most common promotional strategy; staff education varied across sites.

Conclusions:

• The skin-to-skin-a-thon successfully united 22 hospitals, with 42% of Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative centers participating.
• The initiative highlights the feasibility of multicentre collaboration and virtual media for implementing evidence-based practices like SSC.