title: Fathers' perception of information received during their infants' stay at a neonatal intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore fathers' perception of information received during their infants' care at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  An inductive, qualitative and descriptive study. Eight fathers in two units were interviewed. The infants' gestational age at birth ranged between 23 and 36 weeks. Data were collected through semi-structured, individual interviews and were analyzed by qualitative content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three categories were identified: perception of information, perception of the source of information, and circumstances influencing the perception of information. Information had an important impact; comprehensible and adequate information increased the fathers' knowledge, which generated a sense of control. Early information about the infant's care was particularly important and positively affected father and infant bonding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ensuring a high quality of information is an important task for NICU staff. Fathers' perception of the quality of information depended on the contents of the information and how it was conveyed. Comprehensible information at the onset of the infant's hospital stay increased the fathers' sense of security, and made them feel in control. It is important that the staff strive to identify what information the father requires, and prevent situations when fathers feel uncertainty about what the staff expect from them.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ignell Modé
authors.affiliation: University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mard
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nyqvist
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: ylva.thernstrom_blomqvist@kbh.uu.se.
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Blomqvist
mesh_terms: D003258:Consumer Behavior; D054626:Consumer Health Information; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D033181:Information Dissemination; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D010358:Patient Participation; D010465:Perception; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: Father; Infant preterm; Information; Neonatal intensive care unit; Staff