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A neonatal early discharge and home support programme: shifting care into the community
I D Rieger1, D J Henderson-Smart
1Department of Perinatal Medicine, King George V Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
The Neonatal Early Discharge and Family Support Programme (NEDP) enabled earlier infant discharge and reduced hospital visits. This family support initiative proved beneficial for neonatal intensive care extensions.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Family support programs
- Healthcare initiatives
Background:
- Neonatal intensive care often necessitates extended hospital stays.
- Early discharge can pose challenges for families managing infant care at home.
- The need for comprehensive post-discharge support for high-risk infants and their families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the Neonatal Early Discharge and Family Support Programme (NEDP).
- To assess the feasibility of earlier infant discharge with home-based family support.
- To examine the effects of the NEDP on hospital and community service utilization and psychosocial outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study design comparing families before and after NEDP implementation.
- Analysis of hospital and community service usage data.
- Assessment of psychosocial effects on families receiving support.
Main Results:
- Families supported by NEDP experienced earlier discharge, reducing the need for rooming-in.
- Reduced frequency of physician visits for infant care issues.
- Provided transport for infants, saving ambulance costs and freeing emergency resources.
- No increase in maternal anxiety observed; infants in the supported group were less demanding.
Conclusions:
- The Neonatal Early Discharge and Family Support Programme (NEDP) is an effective extension of neonatal intensive care.
- Home-based family support facilitates earlier discharge and improves resource utilization.
- The NEDP demonstrates positive outcomes for both infants and families, enhancing the continuum of neonatal care.
Objective:
The Neonatal Early Discharge and Family Support Programme (NEDP) was an initiative aimed at providing extended care for families whose infants had required neonatal special care, thereby allowing earlier discharge.
Methodology:
Two groups of families were examined; one before and one after the instigation of the NEDP. Hospital and community service usage and psychosocial effects were examined.
Results:
Families who received support were able to be discharged earlier and rooming-in was unnecessary as support was provided at home. Visits to family doctors for mothercraft issues were less frequent. Transport of babies from the Level 3 nursery to other nurseries in order to be closer to home was also provided by the nursing team, saving on ambulance costs and freeing their time for emergencies. There was no increase in maternal anxiety and infants were less difficult in the patient group.
Conclusions:
NEDP and family support programme is a worthwhile extension of neonatal intensive care.