Building Connections with Families: Implementation of a Video-Messaging Service in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Background: Family involvement is vital to optimize the care of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Various technologies have been used to support communication with parents in the NICU. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the parent and staff experience and perception of the use of a cloud-based video-messaging service in our NICU. Methods: This study was a single center observational study conducted at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada. Following the implementation of a video-messaging service, parent and staff surveys were distributed to evaluate their experience and perception. Results: Parent responses were positive with respect to how the service helped them feel: closer to their infant (100%) and reassured about their infant’s care (100%). Nursing staff responses indicated that they perceived a benefit to parents (100%) and to their building a relationship with families (79%). However, they also identified time constraints (85%) and the use of the technology hardware (24%) as challenges. Conclusions: The use of an asynchronous video-messaging service was perceived as beneficial to both parents and staff in the NICU. Complaints pertained to the impact of the technology on nursing workflow and the difficulty using the hardware provided for use of the service.

The Role of Distance from Home to Hospital on Parental Experience in the NICU: A Qualitative Study

“…Using video conferencing technology to include parents not physically present in daily medical rounds may be one strategy to overcome geographic barriers for families and to include all caregivers in decision making. The use of technology to support families during admission to the NICU has been well studied internationally with use of secure video messaging systems and live video streaming [ 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”

The effects of telepresence with real-time video and audio communication on parent-infant interaction and staff experience in neonatal intensive care unit

“…In 2000, Gray introduced an alternative method of sharing NICU videos online with families [ 13 ]. Since the onset of the pandemic, many global facilities have explored options such as asynchronous video messaging [ 14 ] and technologies that enable families to remotely watch their babies in real-time.…”