title: Factors associated with neonatal intensive care follow-up appointment compliance.
abstract: METHODS
  Our goal was to identify factors that affect neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) follow-up appointment compliance. Compliant and noncompliant infants discharged from the NICU over 1 year and scheduled for follow-up (133) were compared retrospectively; a prospective telephone survey of noncompliant families was also undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maternal drug use (odds ratio [OR] = 0.049, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.005-0.506), multiple gestation pregnancy (OR = 0.163, 95% CI = 0.050-0.533), male sex (OR = 0.308, 95% CI = 0.112-0.850), and greater distance from the hospital (OR = 0.987, 95% CI = 0.976-0.999) were independently associated with lower appointment compliance. A greater number of days on oxygen was associated with greater odds of compliance (OR = 1.057, 95% CI = 0.976-0.999). Shorter NICU stays (P = .047) and less chronic lung disease (P = .026) were significantly associated with noncompliance by bivariate analysis only. Distance from the hospital and travel expense were the most often self-cited reasons for appointment noncompliance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding factors associated with NICU follow-up noncompliance is a starting point for providing targeted intervention.
authors: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA. sel5g@virginia.edu
authors: Sara L
authors: SL
authors: Harmon
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Conaway
authors: Robert A
authors: RA
authors: Sinkin
authors: James A
authors: JA
authors: Blackman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: NICU; compliance; follow-up; outcomes; premature infants