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. 2024 May 31:4:100297.
doi: 10.1016/j.pecinn.2024.100297. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Mind the gap: Comparing parents' information needs about impending preterm birth to current clinical practices using a mixed methods approach

Angela C M van Zijl  1 , Sylvia A Obermann-Borst  2 , Marije Hogeveen  3 , E J T Joanne Verweij  4 , Willem B de Vries  5 , Rosa Geurtzen  3 , Nanon H M Labrie  6   7
Affiliations

Mind the gap: Comparing parents' information needs about impending preterm birth to current clinical practices using a mixed methods approach

Angela C M van Zijl et al. PEC Innov. .

Abstract

Objective: To identify parents' information needs about impending very preterm birth and compare these needs to current information practices in the Netherlands.

Methods: Step 1: We surveyed N = 203 parents of preterm infants to assess their information needs. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Step 2a: We collected information resources from hospitals (N = 9 NICUs) and via an online search. These materials were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. Step 2b: We compared findings from Steps 1-2a.

Results: We identified four themes pertaining to parents' information needs: (1) participation in care, (2) emotional wellbeing, (3) experience/success stories, and (4) practical information about prematurity. Clinicians' communicative skills and time were considered prerequisites for optimal information-provision. Notably, hospital resources provided mainly medical information about prematurity with some emphasis on participation in care, while parent associations mainly focused on emotional wellbeing and experience/success stories.

Conclusion: While parents demonstrate clear information needs about impending very preterm birth, current information resources satisfy these partially.

Innovation: Our multidisciplinary research team included both scholars and veteran NICU parents. As such, we identified parents' information needs bottom-up. These parent-driven insights will be used to design an innovative, tailored information platform for parents about impending very preterm birth.

Keywords: Antenatal counseling; Clinician-patient communication; Information needs; Information provision; Patient involvement; Preterm birth.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study design.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Central themes of information-provision prenatally after inductive thematic analysis from parents.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Where parental needs and existing information resources match (Step 2b).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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