Tele Homecare in Premature Infants’ Post-Discharge Early Follow-Up: A Narrative Review

Abstract

The study was conducted to review, categorize and organize early tele-homecare follow-up research in premature infants based on research type, the focus of tele-homecare, and measured outcomes. This narrative review was conducted in 2021 through international databases, including PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and Web of Science databases. Studies selected for this purpose included original articles on premature infants. We reviewed 16 out of 267 identified articles. These studies were analyzed according to general characteristics, elements, and characteristics of tele-homecare intervention. Based on the obtained data, most studies had been conducted in Nordic countries as the pioneer in tele homecare. Also, most of them were on the psychological status of premature infants’ parents. Phone calls, video consultation, and applications were considered dominant tele-homecare communication tools. Overall, the qualitative studies on parents’ and health providers’ views about tele homecare revealed its hidden aspects as a supportive tool. The tele-homecare studies were distributed across different fields and countries, resulting in positive outcomes for infants and parents. However, further studies in the long-term periods are recommended to follow up on premature infants.

Observational study showed that using video consultations was a viable way of delivering an early discharge programme for preterm infants

“…The safety of infants and their families during digital EDPs has been reported by a few other studies 6,17–19 . However, it should be underlined that families in the current study had the opportunity, in line with what others has reported, to receive an indoor consultation at the unit in case of emergency.…”

“…The Nordic countries dominate in the reports on use of telehome care. 6 In the Nordic countries, discharge readiness is reported to be mainly based on clinical assessment with varying criteria and post-discharge home visit is implemented to a large degree (59%). Half of the Nordic NICUs (51%) provided telehome care solutions for families with preterm infants.…”

“…Evidence concerning how EDPs with telehomecare impact infants, parents, families, and healthcare professionals is still limited 6 . To our knowledge, the only review of telehomecare in this setting revealed that only 19% of studies reported the use of video consultations in EDP 6 .…”

“…Evidence concerning how EDPs with telehomecare impact infants, parents, families, and healthcare professionals is still limited 6 . To our knowledge, the only review of telehomecare in this setting revealed that only 19% of studies reported the use of video consultations in EDP 6 . However, the lack of standardisation of programmes, various time points for introducing the service and many qualitative reports make comparison between different types of EDP with tele‐homecare difficult.…”

“…5 In recent years, telehomecare with telephone or video consultations has been developed as a new model of EDPs. 6 Some published single studies have shown that video consultations have been well accepted by parents and have helped them gain confidence in their ability to care for their infant at home. 7,8 Moreover, parents have reported that digital follow-up cover their need for support and contact with healthcare personnel in the NICU.…”