Effects of an Information-Based Discharge Service on Preterm Infants, Parents, and Hospitals

Launched by THE FIRST AFFILIATED HOSPITAL WITH NANJING MEDICAL UNIVERSITY · Sep 23, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new support service called the Information-Based Discharge Preparation Service (IBDPS) for parents of preterm infants. The goal is to see if this service helps parents feel more ready to care for their babies at home, reduces their stress, and improves overall satisfaction with the hospital experience. The study will also look at how well the infants develop after leaving the hospital, how often they need to return for more treatment, and the overall costs for the hospital.

To participate in the trial, infants must be born before 37 weeks of pregnancy and have consent provided by their parents. Parents should be able to dedicate at least four hours a day to care for their baby and be comfortable using electronic devices. The trial will involve randomly assigning families to either receive the new support service along with standard care or just the standard care alone. Throughout the study, researchers will collect information on both the parents' and infants' experiences from the time of admission until one month after discharge. This research aims to improve the transition from hospital to home for preterm infants and their families.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria for Infants:
• • Infants with a gestational age of less than 37 weeks at birth.
• • Written informed consent obtained from legal guardians.
• • Neonates delivered at the study hospital or transferred within the first 24 hours of life.
• Exclusion Criteria for Infants:
• • Presence of major life-threatening congenital anomalies.
• • Critical illness or conditions requiring immediate intensive intervention.
• • Significant developmental abnormalities, including but not limited to severe congenital malformations, metabolic disorders, or central nervous system anomalies.
• Removal Criteria for Infants:
• • Infants who experience abnormal discharge due to treatment abandonment, death, or transfer to another facility.
• Inclusion Criteria for Parents:
• • Parents of infants born at less than 37 weeks of gestational age.
• • Written informed consent provided by the parents.
• • Ability to dedicate at least 4 hours per day to infant care.
• • Adequate reading comprehension and proficiency in using electronic devices.
• • If multiple caregivers are involved, the primary caregiver with the most hours of caregiving will be selected.
• Exclusion Criteria for Parents:
• • Health, familial, social, or language barriers that impair effective integration into the healthcare team.
• Removal Criteria for Parents:
• • Voluntary withdrawal from the study.
• • Non-compliance with study protocols.