Addressing Health-Related Social Needs and Mental Health Needs in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Exploring Challenges and the Potential of Technology

Abstract

Unaddressed health-related social needs (HRSNs) and parental mental health needs in an infant’s environment can negatively affect their health outcomes. This study examines the challenges and potential technological solutions for addressing these needs in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting and beyond. In all, 22 semistructured interviews were conducted with members of the NICU care team and other relevant stakeholders, based on an interpretive description approach. The participants were selected from three safety net hospitals in the U.S. with level IV NICUs. The challenges identified include navigating the multitude of burdens families in the NICU experience, resource constraints within and beyond the health system, a lack of streamlined or consistent processes, no closed-loop referrals to track status and outcomes, and gaps in support postdischarge. Opportunities for leveraging technology to facilitate screening and referral include automating screening, initiating risk-based referrals, using remote check-ins, facilitating resource navigation, tracking referrals, and providing language support. However, technological implementations should avoid perpetuating disparities and consider potential privacy or data-sharing concerns. Although advances in technological health tools alone cannot address all the challenges, they have the potential to offer dynamic tools to support the healthcare setting in identifying and addressing the unique needs and circumstances of each family in the NICU.

NICU Graduates and Psychosocial Problems in Childhood: A Systematic Review

“…The stress, anxiety, and depression resulting from not knowing the health of their child, the inability to control these aspects of parenting, and the changes in perceived and expected roles can lead to increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression [ 19 ]. Further, what seems to be a functional burden are the practicalities of caring for a medically complex child, facilitating appointments, and managing support services, which can be highly stressful for families [ 20 , 21 ].…”

“…Identifying these delays at an early stage becomes vital because early detection will enable the early provision of services that can help minimize the impact of the delays on the child [ 21 ]. Possible interventions may include proposed motor activities for children with motor development delays, which are done through the use of physiotherapy; pediatric occupational therapy for fine motor skills and developmental activities for children, which is accomplished during daily activities; and pediatric speech and language therapy focused on language milestones and language development.…”