Supporting parent-child bonding and attachment practices in the NICU: designing and evaluating a non-intrusive health monitoring solution

This research addresses the critical need for designing alternative healthcare monitoring systems that support health benefiting parent-child interactions during hospital stays, especially in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). We developed a HIPAA-compliant, remote healthcare monitoring system designed to facilitate positive interactions between parents and their infants such as skin-to-skin contact. To evaluate the proposed system, we conducted a proof-of-concept experiment using video and sensor data collection to assess the system’s feasibility and usability with adult participants. Additionally, we examined participants’ subjective experiences through post-interaction surveys and interviews. Overall, the system was perceived as helpful in supporting caregiver-patient interactions. Future improvements can address concerns about continuous monitoring and data management.