Design and assessment of an intervention for parents of premature newborns: a mixed-methods study.
Sandra Patricia Osorio-Galeano, Angela María Salazar-Maya
PMID 41637376WHAT IT FOUND
The primary outcome was null.
Competency scores did not differ significantly between the intervention and usual care groups at discharge or one week after. The pilot suggests the intervention is acceptable and may reduce basic care hospitalization days, but effect data are inconclusive.
Key findings
01The primary outcome, competency in caring for premature newborns at home, showed no significant difference between the intervention and control groups at discharge (p=0.126) or one week after discharge (p=0.163).
02A secondary analysis found a statistically significant reduction in hospitalization days in basic care for the intervention group (4.14 days) compared to the control group (11.38 days, p=0.025).
03Acceptability was high, but half the mothers felt the sessions were too brief and 57.1% believed the number of sessions was insufficient.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was a pilot with a small sample size (28 mothers), limiting statistical power and the generalizability of the findings. There was no masking of participants or researchers, which could introduce bias in subjective outcome measures. The high number of losses in the follow-up period (only 7 control and 9 intervention participants completed the one-week post-discharge assessment) affects the reliability of the long-term data. The primary outcome was null, meaning the study did not prove the intervention's efficacy over usual care for competency.
Declared interests
No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the intervention improves care competency. The primary outcome was null, with no significant difference between groups. The significant finding regarding reduced basic care days was a secondary outcome, and the large intra-group improvements seen in both arms suggest that usual care alone also effectively increases competency.