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Designing Family-Centred Digital Communication in the NICU: A Qualitative Study on Caregiver Preferences for Infant Wellness Updates
ABSTRACT
Background:
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission can be stressful and anxiety-provoking for caregivers, who value frequent updates on their infant's clinical wellbeing. Digital systems are increasingly being explored to support clinical communication in the NICU, including the potential to deliver digital infant wellness updates to NICU caregivers.
Objective:
The objective of our study was to explore NICU caregivers’ perspectives on receiving digital infant wellness updates through a caregiver-facing infant wellness status tool.
Methods:
Guided by Interpretive Description, we conducted semi-structured Zoom interviews with 10 former NICU caregivers from BC Women's Hospital. Data were analyzed inductively and thematically.
Methods:
Guided by Interpretive Description, we conducted semi-structured Zoom interviews with 10 former NICU caregivers from BC Women's Hospital. Data were analyzed inductively and thematically.
Results:
Participants expressed interest in receiving infant wellness updates through this tool, provided it complemented, rather than replaced, in-person communication. They preferred clear, contextualized, and personalized updates and viewed emoji-based indicators of infant wellness unfavorably as they lacked detail. Four themes, each addressing a distinct communication need in the NICU, emerged: enhancing information accessibility, supporting orientation to the NICU, supporting meaningful participation in care, and connecting caregivers with peers.
Conclusions:
Using design considerations derived from each theme, a caregiver-facing infant wellness status tool has the potential to enhance understanding, reduce uncertainty and strengthen caregiver-clinician communication in the NICU.
Citation
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Copyright
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