title: Is family integrated care in neonatal intensive care units feasible and good for preterm infants in China: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  By changing the paradigm of neonatal intensive care and integrating parents into the care team, the 'family integrated care' (FICare) model developed in Canada ensures that infants receive more consistent care and parents are better able to care for their infants within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and at home. However, Chinese health policy dictates that parents are not allowed into the NICU during their infant's stay, which inhibits this type of parent-infant interaction and may affect infant outcomes. This project aims to demonstrate that allowing parents to care for their newborn infants in the NICU improves the medical outcomes of infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cluster randomized controlled trial will evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of FICare in six Chinese tertiary-level NICUs in China - three 'intervention' and three 'control' NICUs. The study steps are: (1) planning and preparation; (2) staff recruitment and training; (3) pilot study in two centers; (4) interim analysis and confirmation of sample size for main study; (5) implementation of main study; (6) data analysis and preparation and publication of study reports. The primary outcome measure is duration of hospital stay from admission to discharge. Secondary outcome measures are: (1) clinical outcomes, such as nosocomial infection, (2) weight gain, (3) breastfeeding, (4) time to full feed, and (5) maternal stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study will assess the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of FICare in China. By establishing that FICare is a practical model of NICU care for stable preterm infants in China, this project will have a significant impact on health outcomes, medical practice and policy, and the cost of medical care. The approach used in this project could be transferable to many other areas of medical care, such as pediatrics, chronic care, and geriatrics. Data in this project can be used to inform health policy in NICUs across China so that parents are allowed to enter the NICU and be at their infant's bedside during the baby's hospitalization, and modifying the design of NICUs in China to facilitate the participation of parents in caring for their newborns.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-TRC-14004736.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Tongzipo Road 138, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China. 2533749531@qq.com.
authors.forename: Mingyan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hei
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Xuzhou Affiliated Hospital of East South University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 220028, China. g.xy@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiangyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China. gaoxirong@126.com.
authors.forename: Xirong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China. nongsh98@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Shaohan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nong
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China. lilly610@sina.com.
authors.forename: Aimin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Shenzhen Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518028, China. zhangqianshen2005@163.com.
authors.forename: Qianshen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5, Canada. sklee@mtsinai.on.ca.
authors.forename: Shoo K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D002985:Clinical Protocols; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D018401:Sample Size