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. 2020 Dec;109(12):2525-2531.
doi: 10.1111/apa.15312. Epub 2020 May 18.

Peer support groups for families in Neonatology: Why and how to get started?

Sonia Dahan  1   2   3 , Claude Julie Bourque  1   2   4   5   6 , Martin Reichherzer  3 , Josée Prince  7 , Ginette Mantha  7   8 , Melissa Savaria  3 , Annie Janvier  1   2   3   4   5   6   9
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Peer support groups for families in Neonatology: Why and how to get started?

Sonia Dahan et al. Acta Paediatr. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Aim: To describe the development of peer-to-peer support meetings between parents of children in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and veteran resource parents who had a previous NICU experience.

Methods: The study had two steps: a needs assessment and a feasibility pilot study. Parental perspectives were investigated using mixed methods.

Results: One hundred and fifty-three parents were participated. NICU parents (89%) wished to meet resource parents to discuss: their parental role, normalising their experience and emotions, adapting to their new reality, control, guilt, trust and coping. Practical aspects of the meetings were tested/finalised. Resource parent moderators reported that the presence of more than one moderator per meeting was essential. A checklist of topics to discuss was developed. Having a diversity of moderators (fathers, diagnoses other than prematurity, for example) was judged important. The name of the meeting had an impact on attendance: there were less participants when the word "support" was used. The best location (central, parents' kitchen) and optimal time/duration of meetings, selection of parent moderators and compensation were also determined.

Conclusion: Peer support meetings moderated by resource parents provide a unique and useful means to support NICU parents. Future investigations will explore whether these meetings will improve clinical outcomes.

Keywords: family partnership; family stakeholders; family-centred care; family-integrated care; patient-centred care; peer-to-peer support; quality control; quality of care; resource parents; stakeholders; veteran parents.

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References

REFERENCES

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