Submission ID 118591
| Issue/Objective | Family engagement in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) improves outcomes, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, where neonatal mortality remains high, integrating mothers into hospital tasks can enhance care and illness detection. Our study evaluates a video-assisted education model to train Ugandan mothers to monitor infant health, aiming to reduce nursing time spent on maternal education. It also explores healthcare workers' views on the feasibility of this approach, which could help address workforce shortages and improve neonatal care. |
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| Methodology/Approach | This two-part study was conducted at the Special Care Unit (SCU) of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda from July to November 2024. The first part involved a time-motion analysis to assess the time required for mothers to learn infant monitoring tasks using video-assisted education. Fifty mothers participated, watching a training video and completing a knowledge exam and skills assessment. The second part surveyed healthcare providers in the SCU about their perspectives on maternal education and time availability. |
| Results | Between July and November 2024, 50 mothers participated in a time-motion analysis at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital. Most had completed secondary education, and 76% had a medium socioeconomic status. After watching the video, 94% of mothers scored perfectly on the knowledge assessment, and 72% achieved perfect scores on the skills assessment. On average, nurses spent 37 seconds providing additional support. All mothers agreed the training was beneficial for infant care. In a healthcare provider survey, 58.3% reported having less than 10 minutes for maternal education, with all agreeing that teaching "danger signs" was crucial. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Video-assisted maternal education is a feasible, acceptable, and time-efficient way to teach mothers how to monitor their hospitalized infants. It addresses the critical challenge of limited healthcare provider time, without compromising essential learning. Danger sign recognition was unanimously identified as the most important skill, and nearly all mothers achieved proficiency with minimal support. This scalable approach aligns with global evidence supporting video-based teaching and may empower mothers to improve both inpatient and post-discharge care, offering a sustainable strategy to enhance neonatal outcomes in resource-limited settings. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Fahima Afsari Khan McGill University Olive Kabajaasi Walimu Matthew O. Wiens BC Children's & Women's Hospital Jessica Duby McGill University Harriet Nambuya Jinja Regional Referral Hospital Nathan Kenya Mugisha Walimu |
