Abstract
The aim of this pilot study was to explore family-centered care (FCC) in a rural neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in India. The promotion of caregiver involvement was the strongest indicator of caregiver satisfaction, followed by education and therapeutic communication.
Primary Author and Speaker: Rachel Allen-McHugh
Additional Authors and Speakers: Hannah Behunin, Brooke Dannenfeldt, Brittney Eilers, Hakyung Jang, Kristin Prine, Quincy Schenk
Contributing Authors: Tejas Borker, Tanvi Ghuge, Sakshi Kadam, Priti Tambe, Aditi Deore
The most vulnerable period of an infant’s life is the first few days after birth (Pathirana et al., 2016). Caregivers report ‘severe’ and ‘extreme’ stress due to separation from infant and ineffective provider communication (Ganguly et al., 2020). Family-Centered Care (FCC) helps parents become more involved in the decision-making of their child’s care (Feeg et al., 2016), reduces caregiver stress, and promotes infant development (Sivanadan et al., 2021). The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the relationship between Family-Centered Care (FCC) practices and the overall satisfaction of care received in a rural NICU in India. Twenty-nine caregivers of infants in the NICU were recruited for this pilot study. The India NICU Family-Centered Care Survey was employed to collect demographic and FCC information. Eleven FCC questions using a 5-point Likert scale were administered in either English or Marathi. The questions were categorized into therapeutic communication, education/equipment, and promotion of caregiver involvement for data analysis to identify response trends. Correlational analyses found statistically significant positive correlations for all three categories compared to overall satisfaction scores of the survey. The highest correlation was caregiver involvement, r(27) = .75, p < .001. Education/equipment also had a strong, significant correlation at, r(27) = .70, p < .001. A moderate, and significant correlation was identified for therapeutic communication, r(27) = .65, p < .001. A majority of caregivers rated their experiences in the NICU as positive. The promotion of caregiver involvement was the strongest indicator of caregiver satisfaction, followed by education and therapeutic communication. The findings of this research can help enhance the understanding of FCC in the NICU, related specifically to the promotion of caregiver involvement by therapists. This information can be used to inform provision of neonatal therapy globally.
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