Co-Development of Implementation Interventions to Support Parent-Led Infant Pain Care: A Collaborative, Theoretically Informed Study (Preprint)

Untreated infant pain is associated with adverse health outcomes. Despite the strong evidence for accessible, effective, and low-cost parent-led pain-relieving interventions such as breast/chestfeeding and skin-to-skin contact, these interventions are not routinely used.

The objective of this research is to support implementation of parent-led pain interventions by 1) identifying barriers and facilitators to parent-led, evidence-informed infant pain care during acute procedures, and 2) developing theory-informed, contextually relevant implementation interventions for supporting the use of parent-led infant pain care in hospital and community contexts.

This study will consist of two phases that follow a systematic, theoretically informed approach guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW). In Phase 1, we will utilize a qualitative descriptive design to explore barriers and facilitators to use of parent-led infant pain care from the perspectives of hospital and community-based clinicians, clinical leaders, and families. In Phase 2, we will utilize the BCW to design tailored implementation interventions that have evidence for effectively addressing identified barriers in collaboration with an advisory committee of administrative, clinical, and family leaders.

Following completion of this study we will have co-designed, theoretically informed implementation interventions that can be pilot tested and experimentally applied.

Findings will be used to implement parent-led interventions that improve patient safety and health outcomes for diverse families.