Paternal and Maternal Information and Communication Technology Usage as Their Very Low Birth Weight Infants Transition Home From the NICU

Abstract

Little is known about how differently mothers and fathers of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants use information and communication technology (ICT), especially during the vulnerable transition from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to home. This study aims to qualitatively compare and contrast the two groups’ usage of technology. In-depth, semistructured phone interviews were conducted with 25 parents of 16 VLBW infants who had been hospitalized in the NICU. Grounded theory facilitated the understanding of interview data. This article discusses the patterns that emerged around the use of ICT between the two groups and discusses the implications for health information seeking, privacy and misinformation, online social networking, learning technology, choosing a health care provider, and health care communication.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hyung Nam Kim

Hyung Nam Kim is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee. He earned his Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering from Virginia Tech. His research interests include health informatics, human-computer interaction, and human factors.

Craig Garfield

Craig Garfield is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. His research interests include child health within the context of the family, with particular emphasis on the role of fathers.

Young Seok Lee

Young Seok Lee is an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. His research interests include mHealth, human factors, industrial and systems engineering.