Digital home follow-up of premature and sick newborns

Helse Møre og Romsdal offers digital home follow-up via CheckWare for premature and sick newborns through the Neonatal Intensive Mobile Nursing Service (NAST). The service enables medically stable infants to be discharged home earlier, while parents receive close follow-up through digital tools. The follow-up includes regular video consultations, reporting of weight measurements, and guidance on nutrition and the child's well-being.

The service is suitable for families with premature infants over 34 weeks who still require support, for example during the feeding training phase. Parents receive thorough training before discharge, and healthcare professionals ensure safety through continuous digital contact. The model provides families with greater flexibility and the opportunity to be together at home, while receiving necessary medical follow-up.

About the service

Helse Møre og Romsdal offers digital home follow-up for premature and sick newborns, known as the Neonatal Intensive Mobile Nursing Service (NAST). This service facilitates early discharge for medically stable infants who still require follow-up by using digital communication between the hospital and the family.

The target group includes premature infants over 34 weeks gestational age who are clinically stable but still need support, for example during the feeding training phase. Before discharge, parents receive thorough training in procedures such as feeding tube placement, managing the feeding tube, and pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). They are also introduced to the digital tools that will be used during the follow-up.

The follow-up involves regular video consultations, up to three times per week, during which nurses and parents discuss the child's weight development, nutrition, and general well-being. Parents weigh the child daily and report the measurements via the digital tools. This structure promotes parents' confidence and involvement in the child's treatment plan, while ensuring continuous support from healthcare professionals.

The service is voluntary and tailored for families who want early discharge and feel confident in managing the child's needs at home. It emphasizes reducing the burden of long hospital stays, especially considering logistics and absence from other family members. Through digital home follow-up, healthcare professionals can offer safe and effective support while allowing the family to stay together in the home environment.

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