ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe the family psychosocial experience in a level-III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and to assess how it evolved after rollout of an educational smartphone application (App) called My Brigham Baby. STUDY DESIGN: We surveyed 25 NICU parents pre-App rollout (before COVID-19 pandemic) and 25 parents post-App rollout (during pandemic). Collected data included parental self-reported discharge readiness, symptoms of stress and anxiety, and parenting skill confidence. Survey scores were assessed as total or mean scores, and by category of severity. RESULTS: Pre-and post-App parents had comparable demographics, and their infants had similar clinical characteristics during their NICU stay. Discharge readiness differed by group status (p=0.02) and was characterized by a greater frequency in being "very ready" for discharge among the post-App rollout parent group compared to the pre-App group (56%v.20%, p=0.027), and parenting confidence shifted towards more optimal scores post-App rollout. Parental stress and anxiety symptoms did not significantly differ between groups despite possible stress contagion from the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that technology applications are feasible interventions within NICU settings, and may enhance parental experiences related to NICU hospitalization.