158 - PreeMe+You: Evaluating a Technology Guide for Parenting Engagement at the Bedside of Premature Infants

Poster Number: 158
Publication Number: 158.1858

Background: Parents of babies in the NICU have higher levels of anxiety and depression and can feel disengaged. However, interventions that prioritize family-centered care and educate and involve parents can improve health outcomes for parents and their babies. Parental engagement is critical for early childhood development, and parents want greater communication about their baby’s care.

Objective: Evaluate parent experiences in the NICU and opinion of the PreeMe+You mobile application after its use during their premature baby’s stay in the NICU. This technology allows parents to engage with their baby’s growth and progress.

Design/Methods: The application was offered to parents with babies in the Comer Children’s Hospital Level IV NICU less than 14 days old, not greater than 37 weeks gestational age, and in stable condition. Parents were surveyed on their NICU Experiences pre- and post- application intervention and on Technology Satisfaction 2+ weeks after enrollment. The survey had Likert scale responses, a response of 5 was the most “ideal” parental state. Welch’s one-tailed t-test scores were used to compare mean responses of pre- and post- intervention experiences.

Results: Four survey questions were categorized as “Information Access,” which was what the application directly sought to improve. For all four questions, there was a significant improvement in parental state 2+ weeks after the application was administered (p < 0.01) (Table 1). Four survey questions were categorized as related to “Health Equity.” Overall, these responses were positive and did not show significant change between the pre- and post- periods, indicating that parents felt they were being treated equitably in the Comer NICU (Table 1). The results of the Technology Satisfaction survey depicted that parents found the application useful for different purposes 86-96% of the time (Figure 3).

Conclusion(s): Parents felt more engaged, confident, and comfortable during their premature baby’s stay in the NICU with utilization of the PreeMe+You application. The area surrounding Comer has lower income and education, a higher unemployment rate and rate of public insurance, and is predominantly black, all of which are associated with health disparities. This application is an example of family-centered care that is cost-effective, easy to implement, and may help mitigate some of health disparities that patients face. This pilot study indicates further dissemination and evaluation of PreeMe+You.