Electronic communication preferences among mothers in the neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: Mobile communication with the medical-care team has the potential to decrease stress among parents of infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We assessed mobile use and communication preferences in a population of urban minority NICU mothers.

STUDY DESIGN: A 30-question English language survey was administered to mothers of NICU patients.

RESULTS: The survey was completed by 217 mothers, 75% were Black, and 75% reported annual household income below $20 000. Only 56% had a computer with Internet access at home, but 79% used smartphones. Most (79%) have searched the Internet for health information in the past year. Receiving electronic messages about their babies was viewed favorably, and text messaging was the preferred platform. The majority of mothers felt electronic messaging would improve communication but should not replace verbal communication.

CONCLUSION: Mobile communication is used widely in this population of NICU mothers and could potentially improve provider-parent communication and reduce parental stress.