Parental Prevention of Newborn Pain: An Evaluation of an eHealth Learning Platform to Determine Acceptability, Feasibility and Utilization of Parent-Led Pain Management

Abstract

Introduction: Despite strong evidence supporting the efficacy of parent-led pain management (PLPM; e.g., breastfeeding) during procedures (e.g., injections), parents remain an underutilized resource. This dissertation sought to develop and evaluate Parenting Pain Away (PPA), a website to enhance parents’ access to information and participation in procedural pain management.

Methods: There are two studies within this dissertation. The first study conducted usability testing of PPA with expectant parents and recently postnatal parents. The second study was a quasi-experimental evaluation with low-risk expectant parents.

Results: After reviewing PPA, participants provided positive, constructive feedback and reported high user satisfaction overall. Providing access to PPA during pregnancy was supported and no major concerns with the website were noted. Participants reported variation in clinical support with PLPM.

Conclusions: The findings from both project phases highlight parents’ appreciation for accessible, evidence-based health information and involvement in all aspects of postnatal care, especially procedural pain management.