Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39824535›Full record

ArticleBMJ paediatrics open2025

Transition-to-home arrangements for very preterm infants and related parental needs at perinatal centres in Austria and Switzerland: a cross-sectional multicentred study.

Laura Ebner, Lea Buehrer, Simone Kistler, Ulla Jochumsen, Ulrike Held, Beatrice Latal, Ursula Kiechl-Kohlendorfer, Austrian Preterm Outcome Study Group and the Swiss Neonatal Network Group

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ paediatrics open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Laura EbnerDepartment of Pediatrics II, Neonatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Lea BuehrerDepartment of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Simone KistlerChild Development Center and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Ulla JochumsenDepartment of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Ulrike HeldDepartment of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Beatrice LatalChild Development Centre, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Ursula Kiechl-KohlendorferDepartment of Pediatrics II, Neonatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria Ursula.Kohlendorfer@i-med.ac.at.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0433-6196
Austrian Preterm Outcome Study Group and the Swiss Neonatal Network Group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe current study aims to give an overview of transition-to-home services provided by perinatal centres in Austria and Switzerland and to evaluate parental satisfaction with the care provided.

methodsThis cross-sectional multicentred study was conducted by performing two surveys between May 2022 and November 2023: one among all level III perinatal centres in Austria (n=7) and Switzerland (n=9) (institutional survey) and one among parents of very preterm infants treated at one selected perinatal centre in each of the two countries (parental survey). Both questionnaires consisted of matching questions focusing on current transition-to-home services.

resultsAll perinatal centres participated in the institutional survey and 61 out of 84 parents completed the parental questionnaire (response rate 72.6%). The discharge process to home was identified as a multidisciplinary effort involving various healthcare professionals with discrepancies in responses within and between institutional and parental questionnaires. Certain disparities were observed in the timing of discharge conversations between healthcare providers and parents. Most physicians mentioned initiating discharge discussions while the child was still in the intensive care unit, but only 14.8% of parents recalled these early conversations. One-fourth of perinatal centres actively contact patients after discharge. So far, video consultations or mobile applications have not been offered. While 95.1% of parents expressed satisfaction with the care received, there were concerns about contradictory medical information, particularly regarding breastfeeding.

conclusionThe transition-to-home process for very preterm infants presents several opportunities for improvement, especially concerning communication between healthcare providers and parents, lactation counselling services and the timely outreach to parents shortly after discharge. The findings of the current study may further improve this transition process and might aid in the development of a standardised programme that is tailored to parental needs.

Indexed as

Infant, Extremely PrematureParentsPatient DischargePerinatal CareAdultAustriaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesSwitzerlandHealth services researchNeonatology

Identifiers

PMID39824535
PMCPMC11749864

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.