Conectar
After resuscitation from out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), mechanical ventilation (MV) and respiratory management are fundamental to support patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and to minimise secondary brain injury. Best practices for MV and association with clinical outcomes in patients with OHCA remain unclear.
This protocol describes a pre-planned respiratory-focused series of sub-analyses within the Sedation, Temperature and Pressure after Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation (STEPCARE) trial, an ongoing interventional study evaluating 6-month mortality after randomisation in patients admitted to ICUs following OHCA. The primary aim is to describe real-world ventilator settings and gas-exchange targets during the first 72 hours after ICU admission in patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation after OHCA. Secondary aims include to estimate the incidence of respiratory complications during ICU stay (eg, ventilator-associated pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, barotrauma); and to explore the association between early ventilator settings/gas-exchange parameters and 6-month outcomes (mortality and neurological status). Exploratory aim is to characterise weaning and extubation practices, including timing and failure rates.
Eligible patients will include adult STEPCARE participants receiving invasive MV after return of spontaneous circulation with available respiratory data recorded within the STEPCARE database.
Data collected in the STEPCARE trial that will be analysed include patients’ prehospital characteristics; clinical examination at hospital admission and at ICU admission; ventilator settings and arterial blood gases recorded at predefined time points during ICU stay. In particular: MV setting (mode, tidal volume, positive end-expiratory pressure, fraction of inspired oxygen, tidal volume, mechanical power, plateau/driving pressures), gas-exchange values (arterial partial pressure of oxygen and carbon dioxide, pH, arterial saturation of oxygen), timing of measurements and the occurrence/timing of respiratory complications and weaning outcomes.
The STEPCARE study has been approved by the regional ethics committee at Lund University (Dnr 2022-02425-01, Approved IRB on 2022-06-18) and by all ethics boards in the participating countries. No additional ethical approval is required for this predefined secondary analysis, as no further data collection or interventions will be performed. Findings will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and, where appropriate, conference abstracts and presentations. Patients and the public were not involved.
In current practice, fluid volumes administered to children following kidney transplant vary widely. Up to 52% of children experience fluid overload-related complications. Current fluid guidelines are not evidence-based and the optimal amount of fluid for children after transplant is not known. The aim of Randomised multiple centre trial of conservative versus LIberal fluid adMInisTration for children receiving a kidney tranSplant (LIMITS) is to determine whether relative limitation of fluid volume administered to children receiving kidney transplants is superior to liberal fluid volume administration.
LIMITS is a pragmatic, open-label, UK-based, multicentre randomised controlled trial, with an internal pilot phase and integrated economic evaluation. A total of 140 children receiving kidney transplants will be randomised to receive either conservative postoperative fluid administration (maximum of 150 mL/m2/hour for no longer than 18 hours, followed by a fixed daily target of maximum 1.5 L/m2/day thereafter) versus the comparator of liberal postoperative fluid administration (fluid volume administered to replace urine output and insensible losses for at least 48 hours with target urine output >2 mL/kg/hour). The primary outcome is mean days at home in the first 30 days after kidney transplant. The primary outcome will be analysed using a mixed linear regression model adjusted for donor type (living vs deceased donor) and participant weight (
The trial received Health Research Authority approval on 20 August 2025 (REC reference: 25/EE/0161, IRAS project ID: 354370). Findings will be presented to academic groups via national and international conferences and peer-reviewed journals. The patient and public involvement group will play an important part in disseminating the study findings to the public domain.
Oncology nurses are pivotal to delivering high-quality cancer care; yet, the uptake of evidence-based practices (EBPs) remains inconsistent. Though continuing professional education is widely used to support EBP uptake, persistent gaps remain, likely driven by the intricate and interrelated mechanisms that unfold differently across individual, organisational and system contexts.
To understand how, why, for whom and under what conditions continuing professional education interventions enhance (or fail to enhance) the uptake of EBPs among oncology nurses.
This realist review will adhere to the Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards methodological standards. The Theoretical Domains Framework will guide the exploration of potential mechanisms. 33 initial programme theories, developed from the Theoretical Domains Framework, prior reviews, expert input and consultations with interested parties working in oncology (eg, oncology nurses, managers), will be refined through systematic searches (CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Google Scholar). These initial programme theories represent hypothesised Context-Mechanism-Outcomes Configurations that may influence the uptake of EBPs among oncology nurses. Eligible peer-reviewed and grey literature from high-income countries in English or French will be screened in duplicate. Data will be coded deductively and inductively in MaxQDA and synthesised into Context-Mechanism-Outcome Configurations. These configurations will be reviewed in collaboration with interested parties.
Findings will be disseminated through open-access, peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national and international conferences. Key stakeholders, including various professional associations (eg, the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology and the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care), will be actively engaged to ensure the clinical relevance of the findings and to maximise their translation into nursing practice.
CRD420251133710.
To explore the feasibility of the confidante methodology to measure past-year intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences in Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through (1) comparison of direct assessment with indirect estimation via the confidante method and (2) assessment of the performance of each confidante method assumption.
Cross-sectional study with nationally and subnationally representative data collected from December 2020 to March 2021 in Burkina Faso (national) and from December 2021 to April 2022 in Kinshasa and Kongo Central, DRC (subnational).
Burkina Faso; Kinshasa, DRC; Kongo Central, DRC.
Partnered women (married or cohabiting) aged 15–49 in Burkina Faso (N=3047), Kinshasa, DRC (N=702) and Kongo Central, DRC (N=688) and their partnered confidantes aged 15–49 (N=2064 in Burkina Faso, N=304 in Kinshasa, DRC, N=393 women in Kongo Central, DRC).
Past-year IPV (emotional, physical, sexual, any) comparing differences in prevalence between the direct respondent sample and the indirect confidante sample, adjusting for confidante method assumptions.
The confidante method produced comparable IPV estimates to respondents’ direct reports across sites (35.3% respondent vs 36.1% confidante in Kinshasa, DRC; 29.7% respondent vs 39.0% confidante in Kongo Central, DRC; 25.7% respondent vs 26.0% confidante in Burkina Faso, differences not statistically significant). Of note, there were differences in IPV estimates between respondents and confidantes by IPV subtype, with physical IPV consistently lower among respondents across sites and sexual IPV lower among confidantes in Kinshasa, DRC and Burkina Faso, though generally not statistically significant.
The confidante methodology did not afford advantages over standard, direct assessment for IPV. Overall, findings indicate the reliability of population-based surveys with direct IPV questions when implemented under recommended ethical guidelines, though direct reports are likely undercounts.
Falls among community-dwelling older adults are prevalent and have serious individual, societal and economic consequences. Allied health professionals provide key falls prevention interventions yet their representation in current clinical practice guidelines is inconsistent. Increased recognition of allied health roles and delivering context-specific guidelines for falls care could help to address workforce gaps and optimise care approaches. This scoping review explored the roles of the allied health professions in falls prevention screening, assessment and intervention for community-dwelling older adults.
Scoping review, using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews.
PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science and Allied and Complementary Medicine Database databases. The initial search was completed in November 2023, with a secondary search performed in July 2025.
Sources were eligible if they identified or described a specific role of at least one allied health professional in falls prevention care for older adults. No restrictions were placed on publication type or date. Study protocols and conference abstracts were excluded, and only English-language sources were included.
ChatGPT-4o was used for initial data extraction. Authors then cross-checked and updated inaccuracies as required. A numerical descriptive analysis, and a qualitative content analysis were performed to answer the research questions.
The search identified 442 relevant sources from 34 countries. The roles of 17 allied health professions in falls prevention for community-dwelling older adults were discussed. Screening, assessment and intervention roles were identified spanning medical, physical capacity, environmental, education and behavioural–psychological domains. Profession-specific interventions closely aligned with their primary scope of practice, and notable areas of overlap between professions were highlighted.
This review highlights the diverse and overlapping contributions of allied health professionals to falls prevention in community-dwelling older adults. Varying levels of evidence are available across the professions and evidence gaps were highlighted for smaller allied health professions, indicating a need for foundational research to substantiate their roles and facilitate their inclusion in future practice guidelines.
Medical malpractice imposes a substantial clinical and economic burden worldwide. Pressure injuries (PIs) are amongst the most frequently litigated adverse events and represent a major source of preventable patient harm. To characterise the medicolegal landscape of PI-related malpractice, the Westlaw legal database was queried for cases litigated between 1990 and 2024. A total of 590 cases met inclusion criteria, with data extracted from court documents. The mean patient age was 71 years; 53.4% were female and 46.6% male. Nursing homes were the most commonly named defendants (59.8%), followed by hospitals and outpatient surgical practices (37.3%) and individual physicians (14.1%). The mean settlement was $383 099, compared with a mean jury award of $2 100 787. Adverse legal outcomes were strongly associated with allegations of inadequate care, poor clinical outcomes and gross provider negligence. When prevention and timely management fail, the consequences extend beyond patient harm to substantial legal and financial liability. Targeted interventions such as standardised risk assessment, rigorous documentation, staff education, appropriate staffing ratios and institutional accountability may mitigate both PI incidence and litigation risk. Strengthening these measures represents a critical opportunity to improve patient safety whilst reducing medicolegal exposure.
by Mequanent Dessie Bitewa, Thomas Kidanemariam Yewodiaw, Aysheshim Asnake Abneh, Mikias Getahun Molla, Mulat Belay Simegn, Tadele Sinishaw Jemere, Mequannt Alemu Endayehu, Aysheshim Belaineh Haimanot, Werkneh Melkie Tilahun, Atirsaw Assefa Melikamu, Tadele Derbew Kassie
BackgroundCervical cancer is preventable, yet it remains a leading cause of cancer death in women. About 90% of cases and 94% of deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Limited access to screening drives high incidence and mortality. Screening is central to secondary prevention and global elimination efforts.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess determinants of cervical cancer screening among women aged 30–49 years in low- and middle-income countries: a multilevel analysis.
MethodsA cross-sectional study used nationally representative data from 148,605 weighted women aged 30–49 years in 20 LMICs (2019–2024). Multilevel logistic regression identified factors associated with cervical cancer screening while accounting for cluster-level variation. Statistical significance was set at p Result
Overall cervical cancer screening uptake was 14.03% (95% CI: 13.63–14.45%), ranging from 0.92% in Mauritania to 42.98% in Zambia. Higher screening was associated with older age 40–49 years (AOR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.41–1.54), occupation (AOR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.10–1.21), contraceptive use (AOR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.31–1.44), recent health-facility visit (AOR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.84–2.02), prior abortion (AOR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.22–1.34), female-headed households (AOR = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.05–1.18), high community education (AOR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.49–1.79), and high media exposure (AOR = 2.54; 95% CI: 2.30–2.80). Lower uptake was observed among individuals in high-poverty communities (AOR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.57–0.68), higher parity (1–4 birth) (AOR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.78–0.94); (five or more births) (AOR=0.66 95% CI: 59–0.73), and those residing in rural areas (AOR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.82–0.97).
ConclusionCervical cancer screening uptake in LMICs is far below the WHO 2030 target, with wide country disparities. Socio-demographic factors, health-facility contact, and community education increase uptake, while poverty and geographic barriers reduce it. Integrating screening into routine reproductive and maternal care, strengthening community and media education, and addressing structural barriers to access are essential to improving coverage.
by Marius König, Jonas P. Wallraff, Florian Glenewinkel, Ursula Wild, Thomas C. Erren, Philip Lewis
BackgroundTeachers play a key role in society and make up ~1.5–2.5% of the working population. Yet, there is a teacher shortage in many countries and preventive occupational medicine strategies are called for. The primary objective of this project is to explore single and joint associations of the diurnal distributions of light, activity, meal, and sleep timing and work-related exposures with severity scores of burnout, anxiety, and depression in a cross-sectional study of secondary school teachers in Germany.
Methods and analysisThe study will involve a one-time collection of questionnaire-based data on sleep, burnout, anxiety, and depression, sensor-based data on light and activity over one week, and diary-based data on work, sleep, and meals over one week. time. The protocol has been registered on the Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/U4R5M).
DiscussionFrom a preventive occupational medicine perspective, identifying where and how light, activity, meal, and sleep timing may be targeted to mitigate burnout, anxiety, and depression could inform measures to be tested not only at the individual (micro) level, but also at systems (meso-institutions; macro-policy and society) levels.
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death among women. Women with lower income, those living in rural areas and women of Black ethnicity are more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages and have poorer survival outcomes. Reducing these inequities is an important public health priority. This study aimed to identify a cost-effective strategy for reducing breast cancer-related inequities and to evaluate the equity impact of the intervention across population subgroups.
We developed a novel individual-level microsimulation model to assess both the equity impact and cost-effectiveness of a community health worker-led education intervention in rural areas. The model, with annual cycles, simulated rural and urban breast cancer populations in South Africa using data from national and regional cancer datasets and followed individuals over a lifetime horizon. Costs were estimated from the provider perspective and outcomes included life-years, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) compared with three willingness-to-pay thresholds (ZAR 58 018/ZAR 109 468/ZAR 328 408). Parameter uncertainty was explored using probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Equity impact was evaluated by estimating changes in age-standardised all-cause mortality across subgroups defined by place of residence (rural vs urban) and ethnicity (Black vs non-Black), using both absolute (rate differences) and relative (rate ratios) measures.
The intervention generated average gains of 0.35 life-years and 0.31 QALYs per patient across the breast cancer population. Inequities by residence decreased, with an absolute reduction of 229.65 per 1000 patients with breast cancer in the age-standardised mortality rate difference, and a relative reduction in the rate ratio of 0.80. By ethnicity, absolute and relative reductions of 110.26 per 1000 patients and 0.27, respectively, were observed between Black and non-Black populations. The intervention was cost-effective, with an ICER of ZAR 44 124 (I$6036) per QALY gained, which is below all three willingness-to-pay thresholds considered.
Community health worker programmes represent a cost-effective strategy to reduce breast cancer-related inequities. Their integration into national cancer control plans in low-income and middle-income countries should be prioritised and supported.
Poor communication between healthcare professionals is one of the main causes of medical errors. Many articles about interprofessional communication (IPC) do not define what communication is and often describe it only as a domain of competencies of interprofessional collaboration. Three communication paradigms coexist: the transmission model, the transactional model and the constitutive model. These models focus on different aspects of communication and are complementary. No review about IPC, including all healthcare professionals or all healthcare settings, has been found.
A scoping review protocol was developed to map the research on the topic of IPC, the paradigms of communication used by the researchers, as well as to clarify the definition of this concept. We will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews. Eligibility criteria follow the Population, Concept, Context framework. Articles about health professionals, allied health professionals and social workers and students in these fields will be included. Articles evaluating IPC in healthcare, either quantitatively or qualitatively, will be included. Articles investigating IPC in any type of healthcare setting in any country will be considered. All types of published articles in scientific journals will be included. The databases that were searched are MEDLINE, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, EMBASE and Web of Science. In October 2025, 22 798 citations were retrieved, of which 9722 duplicates were deleted. Two researchers will then independently assess the remaining 13 078 citations against the eligibility criteria. This step is scheduled for completion in May 2026. They will then chart the data using a standardised data extraction tool.
Formal ethical approval is not required, as primary data will not be collected in this study. Findings of the scoping review will be disseminated through professional networks, conference presentations and publication in a scientific journal.
Because the study is a scoping and not a systematic review, registration was not possible on PROSPERO. The study was registered on Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/dyh2a.
Chronic wounds cause a significant burden to affected patients and to society. Effective and objective diagnostic and monitoring methods are needed in wound care, and artificial intelligence offers one promising alternative. In this study, real-world wound images were used to train a convolutional neural network to automatically segment wound area and wound tissues on an image. The study included altogether 362 images of venous, arterial, vasculitis and pyoderma gangrenosum wounds. The model was based on a convolutional neural network architecture U-Net, and fully supervised learning was utilised during the training phase. Wound area reached a Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) of 0.927 and Intersection over Union (IoU) of 0.868 using an augmented dataset with pretraining. Fibrinous exudate and granulation performed fairly well with DSC 0.750 and 0.696, and with IoU 0.659 and 0.601, respectively. Necrosis present in only 56 images achieved lower performance with DSC 0.503 and IoU 0.502. In conclusion, this study suggested that it is possible to train a neural network to perform well with images taken for purely clinical purposes. Besides wound area, several wound structures can be identified, but wound structure identification performance is dependent on the number of images featuring the structure.
Surgical site infection (SSI) following transmetatarsal amputation (TMA) is common and associated with significant morbidity. However, there is limited evidence to guide perioperative strategies for SSI prevention in this population. A prospective, cross-sectional survey was conducted among vascular specialists. The questionnaire assessed current practice in SSI prevention for TMA, perceptions of evidence gaps, and willingness to participate in future research. Responses were analysed descriptively. Eighty-four valid responses were analysed, with 64.3% from consultant vascular surgeons and 84.5% from UK centres. Most respondents (84.5%) considered SSI after TMA to be a significant issue. The majority preferred primary closure in clean wounds (78.6%) and commonly used short-course antibiotics and interrupted sutures. Over 70% agreed no clear best practice exists, and 65.5% felt high-quality randomised trials are needed. Ninety-three percent expressed willingness to engage in future studies. Equipoise existed regarding interventions including antibiotic duration, wound adjuncts, and closure techniques. Opinion varied regarding whether TMA and major lower limb amputation should be pooled when undertaking research into SSI prevention. Current practice in SSI prevention for TMA is highly variable. This survey demonstrates broad support for rigorous trials to establish effective strategies and highlights the feasibility of future research in this area.
by Víctor Herrera, María Consuelo Miranda, Anyela Lozano-Parra, Diana Niño, Luis Ángel Villar, Rosa Margarita Gélvez Ramírez, Thomas Jaenisch, Laura Pezzi, Claudia Acevedo, Jürg Niederbacher
BackgroundZika virus (ZIKV) infection has been inconsistently associated with neurodevelopmental delay (ND). We aimed to compare the incidence of ND between ZIKV-exposed and ZIKV-unexposed children within the ZIKAlliance (ZA) cohort, in Colombia, assessed 2 years after birth (2018–2021).
MethodsWe performed a neurodevelopmental evaluation on normocephalic children (aged 40–72 months) from the ZIKAlliance cohort. Children were classified as ZIKV-exposed (maternal positive RT-qPCR or virus neutralization test – VNT) or unexposed (maternal negative IgG ELISA or VNT in paired antenatal samples). A trained psychologist, blinded to exposure status, administered the Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST-II). Children were considered at ND risk if they presented ≥1 delay or ≥2 cautions in one or more areas, within their age range in the DDST-II scale. Inconclusive initial tests were re-evaluated. Adjusted odds ratios were estimated using logistic regression.
ResultsWe analyzed conclusive DDST-II results from 153 children (mean age: 4.7 years; 53.8% male). Overall, 57.2% (n = 83) were classified as cases of ND. Children with ND were more likely to be male (61.4% versus 43.5%) and less likely to attend daycare or school (42.2% versus 11.3%) than children with normal development. After adjusting for child age, sex, household size, and education, the association between in utero ZIKV exposure and ND was not statistically significant (OR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.32–1.59, p = 0.320). However, children attending daycare or school had a significantly lower risk of ND compared to those who stayed at home.
ConclusionsPrenatal ZIKV exposure was not associated with ND in this cohort of normocephalic preschool children. Instead, attending a community daycare or school emerged as a significant protective factor against developmental delays.
Scar outcomes are traditionally evaluated at 12 months post-surgery, yet early prediction of long-term scar characteristics may facilitate timely interventions, enhance treatment strategies, shorten clinical trial durations, and improve patient outcomes. This study evaluates whether 3-month scar assessments reliably predict 12-month outcomes using validated scar assessment scales and interrater reliability measures. Two surgeons evaluated a prospective cohort of 40 surgical patients using standardised scar assessment tools. Logistic regression assessed the predictive value of 3-month classifications for 12-month binary outcomes (‘good’ vs. ‘poor’ scar quality), while linear regression evaluated continuous scar scores. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC) values quantified predictive accuracy. Scars classified as ‘good’ at 3 months were significantly more likely to remain ‘good’ at 12 months (p < 0.001), with strong predictive performance (AUC = 0.763). Linear regression demonstrated significant predictive accuracy for width, height, and overall opinion. However, vascularity predictions were weak, and depth was not significantly associated with long-term outcomes. Interrater reliability was moderate to good across measures, with intraclass correlation coefficients values ranging from 0.215 (depth) to 0.714 (width), and Cohen's Kappa for binary scar classifications of 0.505 (p < 0.001). Early 3-month scar assessments reliably predict 12-month outcomes for width, height, and overall opinion, while vascularity and depth remain less predictable. Scars rated as ‘good’ at 3 months are unlikely to worsen, while ‘poor’ scars rarely improve without intervention. These findings highlight the utility of early scar evaluations in guiding postoperative management and patient counselling.
Scar outcomes are known to vary by skin tone and race, yet few studies have systematically evaluated these differences using validated tools. To evaluate differences in scar maturation across Fitzpatrick skin types and racial groups from 3 to 12 months postoperatively using the modified Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) scale. We conducted a prospective observational study of 40 patients undergoing breast surgery at a single academic centre. All scars were assessed at 3 and 12 months postoperatively using the modified POSAS. Fitzpatrick skin types were categorized into I–II, III–IV, and V–VI, and racial groups included Caucasian, Black, and Hispanic patients. Fitzpatrick Types I–II had the greatest vascularity reduction (–2.06 ± 2.10), while Types V–VI showed the least improvement (–0.80 ± 1.61). Pigmentation increased in Types V–VI (+0.35 ± 1.89) and improved in lighter skin tones. Black and Hispanic patients had significantly lower odds of favourable pigmentation outcomes (p < 0.07). Fitzpatrick Types V–VI also had lower odds of improved scar relief (OR = 0.125, p = 0.034). This study highlights differences in scar maturation across skin tone and racial categories using a standardized scale. These trends underscore the importance of tailoring postoperative scar counselling and interventions to individual patients’ skin types and racial backgrounds.
by Anaïs Cheneau, Jonathan Sicsic, Thomas Rapp
As populations age, long-term care policies must balance individual preferences with financial constraints. The prevailing “aging in place” policy in France assumes that citizens overwhelmingly prefer home care over nursing homes. However, little is known about people’s preferences towards long-term care options before disability occurs. We elicit preferences among community-dwelling adults over 60 using a mixed-method approach: qualitative interviews and a two-stage D-efficient discrete choice experiment. In each task, respondents chose between two hypothetical nursing homes varying in professional care quality, living environment, out-of-pocket (OOP) cost, and proximity, then decided whether to receive care in this nursing home or remain at home. A sample of 2,886 French adults over 60 completed the survey in 2024. We used random-effect conditional logit and latent class logit models to investigate trade-offs and preference heterogeneity. While a majority (54%) consistently favored home-care, 37% shifted their decision in response to improved nursing home characteristics. Professional care quality and living environment influenced choices as strongly as OOP cost, while proximity plays a secondary role. Strengthening staffing and training, upgrading equipment and the conviviality of shared spaces, and containing OOP costs are direct levers to raise the acceptability of nursing home care.To explore the experiences and support needs of Black Canadian parents with preterm infants and to engage them in co-creating a culturally informed framework to inform nurses, healthcare providers and community organisations to better serve this population.
Preterm birth (PTB) is a traumatic experience that places significant physical and emotional strain on families and other caregivers. Despite research showing that Black mothers are at risk of PTB, little is known about their experiences of giving birth to a preterm infant and the challenges they encounter caring for these children in Canada. This lack of research specifically on Black parents in Canada makes it difficult to identify their psychosocial needs and develop intervention programmes to address their unique challenges.
A two-phase qualitative exploratory design informed by a community engagement lens will be used.
In Phase 1, five focus groups (n = 48) and 6–8 in depth interviews will be conducted with Black parents of preterm infants. Questions will explore experiences in the NICU, transition home, access to support, coping strategies and mental well-being. One focus group will be conducted with the parent advisory council of the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, our community partner to explore gaps in services. The data from Phase 1 will be analysed and findings will be used to informed Phase 2 concept mapping exercise. This research was approved by the Toronto Metropolitan University Research Ethics Board.
There is a paucity of research addressing the experiences and needs of Black parents with preterm infants. Thus, this study is well positioned to generate the much-needed Canadian empirical knowledge on the unique experiences and stressors face by Black parents with preterm infants and inform the design of programmes and services to better support them.
This study is in collaboration with the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, our community partner.
FreshRSS 