Improving Care in Neonatal Intensive Units During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey on Electronic Health Communication

Abstract

Background A novel virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) started spreading through Italy and the world from February 2020, and the pandemic threatened the family-centred care (FCC) model used in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Teleconferences and video calls were employed to keep parents in contact with their babies. This study aimed to evaluate satisfaction and stress levels between parents in the telematic family-centred care group (T-FCC) versus the FCC group and the no Family-Centred Care (N-FCC) group. Methods A prospective cohort pilot study was carried out from April to May 2020. A parental stressor scale and the NICU satisfaction questionnaire were administered to parents at the time of discharge of their newborns. Parents in T-FCC group could see their newborns via video calls, while those in the FCC and N-FCC groups were extracted from our previously published database. Results Parents in the T-FCC group were more satisfied and less stressed than those in the N-FCC group. Experiences of the mothers and fathers in the T-FCC group were similar. However, the FCC group showed the best results. Conclusion The T-FCC group showed satisfaction with the quality of information received about their babies and felt that their privacy was considered and respected by the medical staff. Parents were also less stressed because they could monitor what happens to the baby through a video, however, they could not intervene if there was a problem. Data support the use of video calls to improve insight into clinical conditions and communication between doctors, nurses, and parents during the pandemic.

Staff Perceptions of Family-Centered Care in Italian Neonatal Intensive Care Units: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

“…Also, staff’s moral distress, fear for their personal and family safety might have changed the priorities of the NICU staff [ 42 ]. However, recent studies have shown how the provision of FCC could be maintained and improved even during the COVID-19 restrictions, also using mobile technology [ 37 , 43 ].…”

Psychosocial Difficulties Experienced By Parents Of Babies Treated In A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit During The Coronavirus Pandemic

“…The “no visitors” policy in NICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic causes a great deal of stress and anxiety. Many neonatal clinics around the world have introduced restrictive policies to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, causing parents to experience a great deal of stress, anxiety, and depression ( Bembich et al, 2021 ; Bua et al, 2021 ; Cameron et al, 2020 ; Giuseppe et al, 2021 ; Manuela et al, 2021 ; McCulloch et al, 2021 ; Van Veenendaal et al, 2021 ). Our participants also reported sadness, unhappiness, and loneliness.…”

“…For example, they used to encourage parents to participate in care and promote breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact. However, they have stopped involving parents in care since the onset of the pandemic, which is likely to put parents in a stressful position ( Giuseppe et al, 2021 ; Konukbay & Arslan, 2011 ; Küçükoğlu et al, 2015 ; Mannering et al, 2021 ; Verderber et al, 2021 ). More research is warranted to better understand the impact of restrictive policies on parent-baby attachment.…”

Improving Communication with Parents in the NICU during the COVID-19 Pandemic, a Study and Review of the Literature

“…In one unit in Italy [ 37 ], NICU parents were updated through a daily video call via smartphones and received information from the physicians about the clinical course of their babies in the presence of a psychologist able to provide support to the families. Parents could see their babies during the video calls, and these were made when the infants were sleeping or feeding, or during procedures.…”