Smartphones and Text Messaging are Associated With Higher Parent Quality of Life Scores and Enrollment in Early Intervention After NICU Discharge

Nicole Flores-Fenlon; Ashley Y Song; Amy Yeh; Kameelah Gateau; Douglas L Vanderbilt; Michele Kipke; Philippe Friedlich; Ashwini Lakshmanan

doi:10.1177/0009922819848080

Smartphones and Text Messaging are Associated With Higher Parent Quality of Life Scores and Enrollment in Early Intervention After NICU Discharge

Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2019 Jul;58(8):903-911. doi: 10.1177/0009922819848080. Epub 2019 May 14.

Authors

Nicole Flores-Fenlon^{1

2}, Ashley Y Song^{1

3}, Amy Yeh^{1

2}, Kameelah Gateau¹, Douglas L Vanderbilt⁴, Michele Kipke^{5

6}, Philippe Friedlich¹, Ashwini Lakshmanan^{1

3

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ 1 Fetal and Neonatal Institute, Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
² 2 Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, LAC+USC Medical Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
³ 3 Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ 4 Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ 5 Division of Research on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁶ 6 Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁷ 7 Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁸ 8 USC Gehr Family Center for Health Systems Science, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of access to communication technology on caregiver quality of life, neurodevelopmental, and medical outcomes (eg, rehospitalization, emergency room visits, or surgeries) in preterm infants, and enrollment in public assistance programs. In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed families of preterm infants in a high-risk infant-follow-up clinic. We estimated associations of access to various modes of communication technology with outcomes, adjusting for sociodemographic and infant characteristics using linear and unconditional logistic regression. Access to email, text messaging, and smartphones was associated with higher quality of life scores on the Multicultural Quality of Life Index, and email and smartphone access was significantly associated with increased enrollment in early intervention. Evaluating smartphone and email access on neonatal intensive care unit discharge is important when considering enrollment in community programs and caregiver quality of life.

Keywords: SSI; early intervention; emailing; follow-up; high-risk infant; outcomes; post-discharge; prematurity; smartphone; texting.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Continuity of Patient Care / organization & administration*
Early Intervention, Educational / organization & administration*
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature*
Infant, Premature, Diseases / rehabilitation*
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal
Male
Parents / education*
Patient Discharge / statistics & numerical data
Quality of Life
Text Messaging / statistics & numerical data*

Grants and funding

KL2 TR001854/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States