Increasing Parent Satisfaction With Discharge Planning: An Improvement Project Using Technology in a Level 3 NICU.
Malathi Balasundaram, Melinda Porter, Stephanie Miller and 3 others
PMID 33534225WHAT IT FOUND
Highest parent satisfaction ratings for discharge preparation rose from 47% to 70% during a NICU process that used tablets, a portal, checklists, and nursing teaching.
Parents could review material early and flag questions, helping nurses target bedside teaching.
Key findings
01The highest parent satisfaction ratings for discharge preparation rose from 47% to 70% by the end of intervention 5.
02Of 159 families reached after discharge, 111 reviewed portal education, and 102 of 111 liked tablet education in addition to direct nursing education.
03Nurses could view parents' electronic responses and tailor teaching, while families still demonstrated key infant-care tasks before discharge.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The satisfaction result comes from survey scores collected over time, not from a trial comparing two discharge processes. Survey return rates were 8% to 24% per quarter, and the authors could not compare responders and nonresponders by demographics. Phone-call feedback was not anonymous and may have biased parents' ratings. Readmissions and emergency department visits were not tracked because infants may return to other healthcare systems. Short-stay and readmitted families initially could not complete all education topics, and some nurses said transferring paper checklist information to the EHR added work. The unit was in Silicon Valley with families skilled in technology, and hospitals would need tablets, portal integration, IT analysts, a physician builder, and adequate wireless Internet. The project was not formally reviewed or supervised by the hospital institutional review board.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the rise from 47% to 70% as proof that tablet or portal education alone improved discharge readiness. Several process changes happened together, survey response rates ranged from 8% to 24%, and readmissions and emergency department visits were not tracked.