BCN Working With "At Risk Infants"

Imagine that you are a parent of one of the approximately 32,000 babies are born with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) each year in the United States. And after heroic work by a leading Children’s Hospital, teams of dedicated doctors, and caring nurses your child is finally able to come home.

There are few more stressful times for parents than during the home recovery period of children diagnosed with complex CHD. The stress of caring for these infants is unrelenting, and the anxiety often peaks in the days and weeks after intensive care discharge as families do not have immediate access to nursing and medical staff. This is especially true for families from rural areas or living long distances from the treating cardiac center.

Dr. Barbara Medoff-Cooper PhD, RN, FAAN of the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Nursing is heading a study that will create a supportive, Transitional TeleHealth Home Care: REACH program that will pioneer a new approach to home monitoring. It integrates an evidence-based APN Transitional Care model with the innovative use of the Buddy Check Network’s voice, SMS, email, and internet monitoring technology.

REACH partners with parents to individualize care and assist them in recognizing early changes in infant health status before an infant is in crisis.

Check back often to stay updated on the study’s progress.