Close Collaboration with Parents intervention improves family-centered care in different neonatal unit contexts: a pre\u2013post study

Mirka Toivonen,Liisa Lehtonen,Sari Ahlqvist-Björkroth,Eliisa Löyttyniemi,Anna Axelin

doi:10.1038/s41390-020-0934-2

Abstract

BackgroundThe quality of family-centered care and parental participation in care in neonatal units differ widely across the world. Appropriate education might be an effective way to support medical staff in neonatal units to collaborate with parents and implement family-centered care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the educational intervention on the quality of family-centered care in eight Finnish neonatal intensive care units from both the staff and parent perspectives.MethodsA mixed-method pre–post intervention study was conducted in eight neonatal intensive care units in Finland. Data were collected from staff and parents using the Bliss Baby Charter audit tool and semi-structured interviews.ResultsThe quality of family-centered care, as assessed by staff and parents, increased significantly after the intervention in all eight units. The intervention was able to help staff define and apply elements of family-centered care, such as shared decision making and collaboration between parents and staff. In interviews, staff described that they learned to support and trust the parents’ ability to take care of their infant.ConclusionsThe educational intervention increased the quality of family-centered care and enabled mutual partnership between parents and staff.ImpactThis study shows that the educational intervention for the whole multi-professional staff of the neonatal unit improved the quality of family-centered care.The Close Collaboration with Parents intervention enabled mutual partnership between parents and staff.It also provides evidence that during The Close Collaboration with Parents intervention staff learned to trust the parents’ ability to take care of their infant.

Highlights

Parents’ unrestricted participation in their infant’s care, shared decision making, and collaboration between parents and staff[1,2] are regarded as goals by most neonatal intensive care units (NICUs)
● This study shows that the educational intervention for the whole multi-professional staff of the neonatal unit improved the quality of family-centered care
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the training program on the quality of familycentered care (FCC) in eight Finnish NICUs from both the staff and parent perspectives

Summary

Introduction

Parents’ unrestricted participation in their infant’s care, shared decision making, and collaboration between parents and staff[1,2] are regarded as goals by most neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Physical and emotional closeness between parent and infant is essential in supporting the parental role and developing a bond.[1,3] Parents’ presence and active involvement can lead to shorter hospital stays,[4,5] better cognitive development of the child,[6,7] better parent–infant bonding and attachment,[1] and decreased maternal stress and anxiety.[4]. Presence, participation in care, and in the quality of familycentered care (FCC) across the world.[8,9,10] Many NICUs still fail to recognize parents as partners[8,11] and may have visitation policies that restrict parent’s access to their infants.

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