An Environmental Scan of Parent-focused Transition Practices between Neonatal Follow-up and Children's Rehabilitation Services

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Identify parent-focused transition practices for parents of children born preterm/acutely ill when transitioning from Neonatal Follow-Up Programs (NFUP) to Children’s Treatment Centers or Networks (CTCN).

Methods: NFUP and CTCN health-care providers participated in an online survey and qualitative interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data underwent conventional content analysis.

Results: 60 participants (17 sites) from diverse health disciplines completed the survey, and 14 (from 11 of 17 sites) participated in a follow-up interview. Enablers to transition included knowledgeable practitioners, shared services, and family engagement; although not present across all sites. Barriers commonly reported were a lack of time, understanding of roles, and parent engagement.

Conclusion: Research study findings highlight the need to improve and bridge NFUP to CTCN parent-focused transition practices. Recommendations for next actions steps include improved cross-sector communication, bridging sectors through enhanced service provision, and moving from information provision to family engagement.

KEYWORDS:

• Transition
• children
• parents
• disability

Acknowledgments

The authors of this work would like to acknowledge the study participants, including members of Empowered Kids Ontario, who assisted in the promotion and recruitment of the environmental scan.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Bloorview Research Institute [Catalyst Research Grant].