Healthcare Professionals’ Perspectives on Telecare Follow-up for Premature Infants: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Background: Premature infants often encounter different challenges due to their underdeveloped systems at birth and require specialized care to survive. Telecare usage as a follow-up tool is a proper line to increase infants’ health by reinforcing parents’ competency to care effectively during the post-discharge period. However, there is controversy about telecare for post-discharge infant care. This study aimed to investigate and compare the experiences of nurses and physicians about post-discharge telecare usage in premature infants. Methods: This qualitative study employed conventional content analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ۳۰ nurses and ۲۵ physicians using purposive sampling. The participants were recruited from three neonatal intensive care units (NICU) affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, from October ۲۰۲۲ to February ۲۰۲۳. All participants had at least two years of experience providing teleconsultation care for premature infants through a web-based national social media platform. The interviews aimed to explore participants’ experiences with teleconsultation. Data collection spanned five months, and the analysis was guided by Granheim and Lundman’s method to extract core concepts until data saturation was reached, meaning no new information emerged from further interviews.Results: The findings demonstrated two main components, including the challenges and benefits of telecare. Both nurses and physicians generally agreed on the usefulness of telecare, but they differed in opinions regarding infant safety and trust in parents’ understanding of telecare monitoring.Conclusion: The study highlighted safety concerns and parental internet literacy levels related to telecare follow-up, advocating for its integration alongside traditional care. Valuable insights were provided for policy-makers in managing post-discharge care for premature infants, emphasizing the need for further exploration into long-term impacts and parental adherence to telecare protocols.

Keywords:

Premature , Infant , Remote Consultation , Physicians , Nurse Clinicians , Qualitative study