We aimed to measure provider perspectives on the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of teleneonatology in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and community hospitals.Providers from five academic tertiary NICUs and 27 community hospitals were surveyed using validated implementation measures to assess the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of teleneonatology. For each of the 12 statements, scale values ranged from 1 to 5 (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree), with higher scores indicating greater positive perceptions. Survey results were summarized, and differences across respondents assessed using generalized linear models.The survey response rate was 56% (203/365). Respondents found teleneonatology to be acceptable, appropriate, and feasible. The percent of respondents who agreed with each of the twelve statements ranged from 88.6 to 99.0%, with mean scores of 4.4 to 4.7 and median scores of 4.0 to 5.0. There was no difference in the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of teleneonatology when analyzed by professional role, years of experience in neonatal care, or years of teleneonatology experience. Respondents from Level I well newborn nurseries had greater positive perceptions of teleneonatology than those from Level II special care nurseries.Providers in tertiary NICUs and community hospitals perceive teleneonatology to be highly acceptable, appropriate, and feasible for their practices. The wide acceptance by providers of all roles and levels of experience likely demonstrates a broad receptiveness to telemedicine as a tool to deliver neonatal care, particularly in rural communities where specialists are unavailable.· Neonatal care providers perceive teleneonatology to be highly acceptable, appropriate, and feasible.. · Perceptions of teleneonatology do not differ based on professional role or years of experience.. · Perceptions of teleneonatology are especially high in smaller hospitals with well newborn nurseries..
Background/Aims: Clinical trials evaluating facility-to-facility telemedicine may include sites that have limited research experience. For the trial to be successful, these sites must correctly perform research-related tasks. This study aimed to determine whether health care professionals at community hospitals could accurately identify simulated study eligible patients and submit data to a research coordinating center. Methods: Twenty-seven community hospitals in the United States and Canada participated in this study. An electronic survey was sent to one designated health care professional at each site. The survey included a description of trial eligibility criteria and five written neonatal resuscitation scenarios. For each scenario, the participant determined whether the neonate was study eligible. One scenario required participants to submit 14 data elements to the coordinating center. Accuracy of study eligibility and data submission was summarized using standard descriptive statistics. Results: The survey response rate was 100% (27/27). Overall accuracy in determining study eligibility was 89% (120/135), and accuracy varied across the five scenarios (range 82-93%). Overall accuracy of data submission was 92% (310/336). Data were >95% accurate for 9 of the 14 data elements, with 100% accuracy achieved for 6 data elements. These results were used to clarify eligibility criteria, inform database design, and improve training materials for the subsequent clinical trial. Conclusions: Health care professionals at community hospitals accurately determined trial eligibility and submitted study data based on written clinical scenarios. Research teams conducting telemedicine trials with community hospitals should consider completing pre-trial simulation activities to identify opportunities for improving trial processes and materials.
Intercenter variation exists in the management of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). It is unclear whether increased resource utilization translates into improved neurodevelopmental outcomes.To determine if higher resource utilization during the first 4 days of age, quantified by hospital costs, is associated with survival without neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) among infants with HIE.Retrospective cohort analysis of neonates with HIE who underwent therapeutic hypothermia (TH) at US children's hospitals participating in the Children's Hospitals Neonatal Database between 2010 and 2016. Data were analyzed from December 2021 to December 2022.Infants who survived to 4 days of age and had neurodevelopmental outcomes assessed at greater than 11 months of age were divided into 2 groups: (1) death or NDI and (2) survived without NDI. Resource utilization was defined as costs of hospitalization including neonatal neurocritical care (NNCC). Data were linked with Pediatric Health Information Systems to quantify standardized costs by terciles.The main outcome was death or NDI. Characteristics, outcomes, hospitalization, and NNCC costs were compared.Among the 381 patients who were included, median (IQR) gestational age was 39 (38-40) weeks; maternal race included 79 (20.7%) Black mothers, 237 (62.2%) White mothers, and 58 (15.2%) mothers with other race; 80 (21%) died, 64 (17%) survived with NDI (combined death or NDI group: 144 patients [38%]), and 237 (62%) survived without NDI. The combined death or NDI group had a higher rate of infants with Apgar score at 10 minutes less than or equal to 5 (65.3% [94 of 144] vs 39.7% [94 of 237]; P < .001) and a lower rate of infants with mild or moderate HIE (36.1% [52 of 144] vs 82.3% [195 of 237]; P < .001) compared with the survived without NDI group. Compared with low-cost centers, there was no association between high- or medium-hospitalization cost centers and death or NDI. High- and medium-EEG cost centers had lower odds of death or NDI compared with low-cost centers (high vs low: OR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.16-0.57]; medium vs low: OR, 0.29 [95% CI, 0.13-0.62]). High- and medium-laboratory cost centers had higher odds of death or NDI compared with low-cost centers (high vs low: OR, 2.35 [95% CI, 1.19-4.66]; medium vs low: OR, 1.93 [95% CI, 1.07-3.47]). High-antiseizure medication cost centers had higher odds of death or NDI compared with low-cost centers (high vs. low: OR, 3.72 [95% CI, 1.51-9.18]; medium vs low: OR, 1.56 [95% CI, 0.71-3.42]).Hospitalization costs during the first 4 days of age in neonates with HIE treated with TH were not associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes. Higher EEG costs were associated with lower odds of death or NDI yet higher laboratory and antiseizure medication costs were not. These findings serve as first steps toward identifying aspects of NNCC that are associated with outcomes.
The aim of this study was to describe clinical outcomes of bridled nasogastric tube (NGT) program implementation for infants requiring assisted home feeding (AHF) to discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
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