Perceptions of Webcams in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Here's Looking at you Kid!

Abstract

Introduction Many tertiary neonatal units employ a restricted visiting policy. Webcams have previously been implemented in the neonatal unit setting in several countries.

Objectives This study aims to determine the views from parents, physicians, and nursing staff before implementation of a webcam system.

Methods A questionnaire-based study.

Results There were 101 responses. Parental computer usage was 83%. The majority of parents indicated that they would use the webcam system. Parents felt that a webcam system would reduce stress. Members of the nursing staff were most concerned about privacy risks (68%), compared with parents who were confident in the security of these systems (92%, p-value < 0.001). Seventy two percent of nurses felt that a webcam system would increase the stress levels of staff as compared with less than 20% of the physicians (p-value < 0.001).

Discussion The majority of parents who completed the questionnaire have positive attitudes toward implementation of a webcam system in the NICU. Education of health care staff is required before implementation.

Keywords

webcam - NICU - neonatology

• References

• 1 American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Bioethics. Ethics and the care of critically ill infants and children. Pediatrics 1996; 98 (1) 149-152
• 2 American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Fetus and Newborn. The initiation or withdrawal of treatment for high-risk newborns. Pediatrics 1995; 96 (2 Pt 1) 362-363
• 3 American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Fetus and Newborn. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice. Perinatal care at the threshold of viability. Pediatrics 1995; 96 (5 Pt 1) 974-976
• 4 Turan T, Başbakkal Z, Ozbek S. Effect of nursing interventions on stressors of parents of premature infants in neonatal intensive care unit. J Clin Nurs 2008; 17 (21) 2856-2866
• 5 Watson G. Parental liminality: a way of understanding the early experiences of parents who have a very preterm infant. J Clin Nurs 2011; 20 (9-10) 1462-1471
• 6 Feldman R, Weller A, Leckman JF, Kuint J, Eidelman AI. The nature of the mother's tie to her infant: maternal bonding under conditions of proximity, separation, and potential loss. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 1999; 40 (6) 929-939
• 7 Gooding JS, Cooper LG, Blaine AI, Franck LS, Howse JL, Berns SD. Family support and family-centered care in the neonatal intensive care unit: origins, advances, impact. Semin Perinatol 2011; 35 (1) 20-28
• 8 Safran C, Pompilio-Weitzner G, Emery KD, Hampers L. A Medicaid eHealth program: an analysis of benefits to users and nonusers. AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2005; 2005: 659-663
• 9 Bradford N, Armfield NR, Young J, Smith AC. Feasibility and accuracy of medication checks via Internet video. J Telemed Telecare 2012; 18 (3) 128-132
• 10 Hori M, Kubota M, Ando K, Kihara T, Takahashi R, Kinoshita A. The effect of videophone communication (with skype and webcam) for elderly patients with dementia and their caregivers [in Japanese]. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 2011; 38 (Suppl. 01) 94-96
• 11 Moore KA, Coker K, DuBuisson AB, Swett B, Edwards WH. Implementing potentially better practices for improving family-centered care in neonatal intensive care units: successes and challenges. Pediatrics 2003; 111 (4 Pt 2) e450-e460
• 12 Payne KB, Wharrad H, Watts K. Smartphone and medical related App use among medical students and junior doctors in the United Kingdom (UK): a regional survey. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2012; 12: 121
• 13 Hawkes CP, Hanotin S, O'Flaherty B, Woodworth S, Ryan CA, Dempsey EM. Using smart phone technology to teach neonatal endotracheal intubation (NeoTube): application development and uptake. Acta Paediatr 2012; 101 (3) e134-e136
• 14 Rhoads SJ, Green AL, Lewis SD, Rakes L. Challenges of implementation of a web-camera system in the neonatal intensive care unit. Neonatal Netw 2012; 31 (4) 223-228
• 15 Gordin P, Johnson BH. Technology and family-centered perinatal care: conflict or synergy?. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 1999; 28 (4) 401-408