Experiences and contextual practices of family-centered care in Ghanaian nicus: a qualitative study of families and clinicians

BACKGROUND: Families, whether at home or at the hospital, should be a vital part of newborn care. However, most families are excluded from hospital care, particularly in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). This is incompatible with the concepts of Family-Centered Care (FCC) and may compromise care continuity and family satisfaction following discharge from neonatal intensive care facilities. The purpose of this study was to examine FCC practices in Ghanaian neonatal intensive care units and provide the experiences and contextual practices of FCC from the perspectives of families and clinicians. METHODS: The study qualitatively examined the contextual practices of FCC from the perspectives of families and clinicians in neonatal intensive care units using an exploratory descriptive design. With the help of MAXQDA software, 36 transcripts were generated and their contents were analyzed. RESULTS: Contextual practices of FCC, family experiences of FCC and clinician experiences of FCC emerged as three main categories from the data. Respect and dignity, culture and religion and a multidisciplinary approach were the contextual practices. Emotional stress, lack of information and coping strategies were all common family experiences. Support, counseling, education and financial problems have all been experienced by clinicians. CONCLUSIONS: Shared decision-making, counseling and education, as well as respect/dignity amongst clinicians, managers and families using a multidisciplinary approach are the fundamental concepts of FCC approach in Ghana. Acceptance and integration of FCC approach into neonatal intensive care units may reduce the burden of care as well as improve the quality of care. Further studies are needed to map out strategies and interventions for the integration of FCC into intensive care units.