TY - JOUR
T1 - Parents’ needs and perceived gaps in communication with healthcare professionals in the neonatal (intensive) care unit
T2 - A qualitative interview study
AU - Lorié, Esther S.
AU - Wreesmann, Willem jan W.
AU - van Veenendaal, Nicole R.
AU - van Kempen, Anne A.M.W.
AU - Labrie, Nanon H.M.
N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by a grant awarded to N.H.M. Labrie by the Dutch Research Council (NWO, VI.Veni.191S.032). The funding source had no involvement in the study design; the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; the writing of the report; or the decision to submit the article for publication. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s)
PY - 2021/7
Y1 - 2021/7
N2 - Objective: To explore parents’ needs and perceived gaps concerning communication with healthcare professionals during their preterm infants’ admission to the neonatal (intensive) care unit (NICU) after birth. Methods: Semi-structured, retrospective interviews with 20 parents of preterm infants (March 2020), admitted to a Dutch NICU (level 2–4) minimally one week, one to five years prior. The interview guide was developed using Epstein and Street's Framework for Patient-Centered Communication. Online interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Deductive and inductive thematic analysis was performed by two independent coders. Results: Communication needs and gaps emerged across four main functions of NICU communication: Building/maintaining relationships, exchanging information, (sharing) decision-making, and enabling parent self-management. Communication gaps included: lack of supportive physician communication, disregard of parents’ views and agreements, missing communication about decisions, and the absence of written (discharge) information. Conclusion: This study improves our understanding and conceptualization of adequate NICU communication by revealing persisting gaps in parent-provider interaction. Also, this study provides a steppingstone for further integration of parents as equal partners in neonatal care and communication. Practice implications: The results are relevant to practitioners in the field of neonatal and pediatric care, providing suggestions for tangible improvements in NICU care in the Netherlands and beyond.
AB - Objective: To explore parents’ needs and perceived gaps concerning communication with healthcare professionals during their preterm infants’ admission to the neonatal (intensive) care unit (NICU) after birth. Methods: Semi-structured, retrospective interviews with 20 parents of preterm infants (March 2020), admitted to a Dutch NICU (level 2–4) minimally one week, one to five years prior. The interview guide was developed using Epstein and Street's Framework for Patient-Centered Communication. Online interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Deductive and inductive thematic analysis was performed by two independent coders. Results: Communication needs and gaps emerged across four main functions of NICU communication: Building/maintaining relationships, exchanging information, (sharing) decision-making, and enabling parent self-management. Communication gaps included: lack of supportive physician communication, disregard of parents’ views and agreements, missing communication about decisions, and the absence of written (discharge) information. Conclusion: This study improves our understanding and conceptualization of adequate NICU communication by revealing persisting gaps in parent-provider interaction. Also, this study provides a steppingstone for further integration of parents as equal partners in neonatal care and communication. Practice implications: The results are relevant to practitioners in the field of neonatal and pediatric care, providing suggestions for tangible improvements in NICU care in the Netherlands and beyond.
KW - Communication functions
KW - Communication needs and gaps
KW - NICU
KW - Neonatal intensive care unit
KW - Parents
KW - Patient-provider communication
KW - Preterm infants
KW - Semi-Structured interviews
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U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.12.007
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.12.007
M3 - Article
C2 - 33423822
SN - 0738-3991
VL - 104
SP - 1518
EP - 1525
JO - Patient Education and Counseling
JF - Patient Education and Counseling
IS - 7
ER -