Parental participation in decision-making in NICU
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A mixed methods study examining parental experiences and desires regarding their participation in decision-making in two neonatal intensive care units
IRAS ID
173169
Contact name
Natalie Fairhurst
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Salford
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Parents of babies hospitalised in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) throughout the United Kingdom (UK) are faced with many decisions about their baby's care throughout their neonatal journey. The Department of Health (DH 2009), Bliss (2010-2011) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE 2010) highlighted differences in the quality of care being provided across the 23 neonatal networks in the UK. Parental participation in decision-making has been highlighted as an area in which significant improvements in clinical practice can be made. The aim of this study is to explore what parents have experienced and what they would like to happen when participating in decision-making in the NICU. This will be done in 3 stages. First, an organised consultation session will be held for parents to discuss their experiences and what they would like to see in the study. The results will help in the development of a survey. A survey will be given to 100 parents between 1 and 3 weeks after admission to NICU. Finally, 20 parents will be interviewed, building on the survey results and providing more detailed information regarding the parents' personal experiences and desires. The results should help neonatal nurses and doctors to promote more effective parental participation in decision-making. The overall goal is to improve quality of care and to find effective methods to empower parents as partners in care, and by doing so to equalise care provision across the networks whilst improving long-term physical, psychological and social outcomes.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0840
Date of REC Opinion
9 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion