Development and application of a primer and reference assessment tool for neonatal abstinence syndrome: A phase I pilot study

BACKGROUND: Despite evidence for the efficacy of strict neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) treatment protocols, no national standardized education, diagnosis or treatment strategy is available. OBJECTIVES: To describe the development and preliminary usability of an electronic bedside primer and decision support tool for medical providers, with embedded, interactive education and reference modules. METHODS: A panel of NAS experts established a standard operating procedure for the best practices of NAS management and developed an interactive mobile primer and reference and assessment tool to assess NAS with a curriculum and decision support system. We tested the feasibility and usability of this tool with n = 8 users, including registered nurses, last-year undergraduate nursing students and neonatal physicians. RESULTS: Participants rated the usability of the modules positively, with an average rating of 4.5 (scale of “1 = Strongly disagree” to “5 = Strongly agree”). Participants appreciated the ability to score the infant at the bedside using real time electronic entry. Seven users noted that the electronic device entry would be as accurate as paper or computer-based Electronic Medical Records entry and one user indicated it would potentially be more accurate during post-usability interviews. Users recommended improvements to the curriculum, including increasing detail of definitions and adding videos for additional NAS signs. CONCLUSION: The assessment tool appears to be acceptable and usable by potential users. The strong ratings across users provides support for further testing whether its acceptability and usability remain high in a hospital setting, while assessing the impact on clinical outcomes such as newborn hospital length of stay.