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. 2023 May 27;10(6):953.
doi: 10.3390/children10060953.

Parent-Integrated Interventions to Improve Language Development in Children Born Very Preterm

Anne Synnes  1   2   3 , Thuy Mai Luu  4 , Jehier Afifi  5   6 , May Khairy  7 , Cecilia de Cabo  8 , Diane Moddemann  8 , Leonora Hendson  9 , Amber Reichert  10 , Kevin Coughlin  11 , Kim Anh Nguyen  12 , Lindsay L Richter  1 , Fabiana Bacchini  13 , Khalid Aziz  14
Affiliations

Parent-Integrated Interventions to Improve Language Development in Children Born Very Preterm

Anne Synnes et al. Children (Basel). .

Abstract

Neurodevelopmental challenges in children born very preterm are common and not improving. This study tested the feasibility of using Evidence-based Practice to Improve Quality (EPIQ), a proven quality improvement technique that incorporates scientific evidence to target improving language abilities in very preterm populations in 10 Canadian neonatal follow-up programs. Feasibility was defined as at least 70% of sites completing four intervention cycles and 75% of cycles meeting targeted aims. Systematic reviews were reviewed and performed, an online quality improvement educational tool was developed, multidisciplinary teams that included parents were created and trained, and sites provided virtual support to implement and audit locally at least four intervention cycles of approximately 6 months in duration. Eight of ten sites implemented at least four intervention cycles. Of the 48 cycles completed, audits showed 41 (85%) met their aim. Though COVID-19 was a barrier, parent involvement, champions, and institutional support facilitated success. EPIQ is a feasible quality improvement methodology to implement family-integrated evidence-informed interventions to support language interventions in neonatal follow-up programs. Further studies are required to identify potential benefits of service outcomes, patients, and families and to evaluate sustainability.

Keywords: family integrated care; parent perspectives; patient-oriented research; prematurity; quality improvement.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percent of very preterm children (<29 weeks gestation) with cognitive and language delays at 18 months corrected age at participating sites.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Number of intervention cycles completed by each site.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Drivers of success in the Parent-EPIQ model.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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