Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Date Submitted: Oct 6, 2025
Date Accepted: May 6, 2026
Developing a Music-Based Mobile Health Intervention for Parents and Staff in Neonatal Care and Beyond: Online Focus Group Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Creative Music Therapy (CMT) in preterm infants has been associated with improved health outcomes in both parents and infants while promoting parent-infant bonding. However, access to CMT is limited.
Objective:
Therefore, a CMT-based mobile Health (mHealth) intervention is developed for parents of preterm infants and healthcare professionals, and, as a first step, this study aimed to explore end-users’ needs and wishes towards such an mHealth intervention.
Methods:
An iterative qualitative study combining multi-stakeholder online focus groups with mind mapping. Map contributions were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results:
20 participants (seven parents, one grandparent, twelve healthcare professionals) contributed to creating the mind map, offering insights into the identified five themes: (1) aims of the mHealth intervention, (2) desired functions and design, (3) content, (4) important factors for acceptability, and (5) usability beyond the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Conclusions:
The study highlights critical considerations for designing a CMT-based mHealth intervention. The in-depth user insights gathered will inform iterative development and refinement of the intervention, which will be evaluated in future usability, feasibility, and effectiveness studies.
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