Impact of Single-Family Rooms on Family- Centered Care

초록

Background and Aims: To determine whether single-family rooms (SFRs) are helpful in implementing family-centered care (FCC) in Korea. Methods: A longitudinal, prospective, quasi-experimental cohort study has been conducted since October 2022, when FCC was initiated and parent visits and participation were encouraged in the NICU of Inha University Hospital. Construction of three single-family rooms was completed, and their use began in March 2023. We compared 39 infants who used open-bay units only and 33 infants who used SFRs. Results: The number of parent visits was more frequent in the SFR group than in the open-bay group (median [IQR] 3.7 [2.5–4.6] vs. 1.4 [0.2–3.1]/week; p < 0.001). The duration of each visit, skin-to-skin contact, and breast milk feeding were longer in the SFR group than in the open-bay group (146 [124–172] vs. 87 [42–100] min; p < 0.001, 86 [67–120] vs. 72 [34–89] min; p = 0.030, and 66.4 [38.3–75.5] vs. 34.6 [25.0–70.7]%; p = 0.003, respectively). Although infants in the SFR group had lower gestational age and birth weight than those in the open-bay group (29.9 [25.6–31.4] vs. 32.1 [30.7–33.0]; p < 0.001 and 1,360 [1,106–1,533] vs. 1,620 [1,515–1,740] g; p < 0.001, respectively), there were no differences in sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, antibiotic usage, or proportion of parenteral nutrition during hospitalization. Although the duration of respiratory support was longer (22 [4–35] vs. 5 [3–15] days; p < 0.001), fewer blood gas analyses were performed (3.2 [2.7–4.2] vs. 4.5 [4.3–5.0]/week; p < 0.001) in the SFR group than in the open-bay group. Conclusions: SFRs were associated with more frequent parental visits in the NICU and longer participation in infant care. They also enhanced enteral nutrition and breastfeeding while reducing invasive procedures. SFRs are effective in successfully delivering and implementing FCC.