Post-implementation parent responses
| Theme | Parent comments |
| Parent experience | |
| Anxiety and stress | ‘It has reduced my stress levels, especially at night when I have left the neonatal unit’ ‘I see my baby is safe, so my stress levels are reduced’ |
| Reassurance | ‘It is reassuring to see she is being cared for when I’m not present’. ‘It gives me peace of mind’ ‘Being able to see my baby when I’m at home is overwhelming but reassuring that he is ok’ ‘It helps if he's been having a bad day to see that things have calmed down after we've left’ |
| Involvement in care | ‘You feel included by being sent the videos and photos as you are being included in stuff that’s happening when you're not there’ ‘It helps us feel more included and that the staff are thinking of us’ ‘Seeing moments we would maybe normally miss’ |
| Emotional closeness | ‘It helps with the feeling of bonding as we see more of him’ ‘Despite distance, getting to see him makes us feel closer to him’ ‘This makes me see how well my baby has come along and gives me a strong bond’ |
| Breastmilk expression | ‘The very first one was hugely emotional and actually helped with my breastmilk!‘ ‘It really helps! One was entitled “ready for feeding” so the next day we tried her on the breast’ |
| Extended family | ‘We sent to family which helped them too as at that point they hadn't even seen her’ |
| Relationships with staff | |
| Appreciation | ‘We love and appreciate the time the two nurses who did the videos have taken—meant a lot to us!’ ‘I appreciate how busy the staff are and how hard they work, the fact they take the time to send a little video is kind’ ‘I feel they care not only for my baby, but also for my mental comfort’ |
| Communication | ‘It allows me to form a bond with staff by talking about the impact of the videos’ ‘More confident in asking questions’ ‘Makes me appreciate the staff and the job they do. Can talk openly to staff in the unit. Makes you feel more comfortable’ ‘It is a very personal touch and helps build rapport’ |
| Trust | ‘They often speak on the videos this builds a trust’ ‘It has given me more trust and confidence with the staff in the neonatal unit’ |
| Concerns and technical aspects | |
| Inconsistent frequency of videos | ‘Sadly we received videos the first two nights but then none the following two so that made us more anxious wondering why and what was wrong’ ‘I wish I would have gotten videos more frequently’ |
| Technical issues | ‘Can't save the video on phone‘ ‘Only able to share with family for 24 hours’ |
| Security concerns | ‘Risk of my baby's photos being sent to another parent’ |