| Innovation of high-risk infants follow-up surveillance system in Iran
ABSTRACT
Background: Early childhood development is one of the most social determinants of health
that must be notified in order to reducing social gap and inequity. In spite of increasingly
developing intensive neonatal care wards and decreasing neonatal mortality rate, there is no
follow‑up surveillance system to identify high‑risk infants (HRI) and their health problems for
timely intervention after discharge. This study was carried out to design and pilot high‑risk infant
follow‑ups (HRIFs) surveillance system, in Alzahra Hospital, a tertiary level center of Tabriz
University of Medical Sciences (TUOMS), in 2012–2013.
Methods: In this qualitative research after studying international documents, consensus about
criteria of HRIs accomplished by focus group discussion. Then, Delphi agreement technique was
used to finalizing assessment timetable. In the second phase, we piloted the designed surveillance
system in Alzahra Hospital, a tertiary level center of TUOMS. Pilot study was implemented by
follow‑up team organized in designed model at the first phase of the study. Then, the findings
of the pilot study were being assessed by an expert panel. If the members agreed on made
decisions, they were being placed on the agenda of the national committee of development care
of newborns for final approval.
Results: High‑risk infants follow‑up surveillance system was designed in following steps: Defining
of evidence‑based criteria of HRIs, organizing the follow‑up team, regulating the organs and
neurodevelopment assessment timetable, publishing a health certificate notebook for HRIs, and
designing Access database software for data collection, report and evaluation.
Conclusions: We designed and piloted HRIFs surveillance system, so this system was
institutionalized in Alzahra Hospital, finally. It can be prepared to apply in the whole country, after
detecting the quantitative outcomes and developing the program in East Azarbijan. |