European Standards of Care for Newborn Health—A project protocol
Verena Lindacher, Philine Altebaeumer, Neil Marlow, Valerie Matthaeus, Iris Nikola Straszewski, Nicole Thiele, Johanna M. Pfeil, Luc J. I. Zimmermann, Silke Mader, the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health project members
Abstract
AIM: Among children who receive hospital care, preterm infants are Europe's largest group, whose numbers are continually increasing. Currently, no pan-European standards of care for preterm or critically ill infants are available, except for a few specific topics, and practices vary widely in different regions. METHODS: The European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI) has initiated a transdisciplinary collaboration project to provide agreed standards for high-quality perinatal and neonatal care, whose implementation will ensure fairer and more equitable care across Europe. This will improve care for these vulnerable infants and their families, ameliorate the long-term conditions found in preterm and critically ill infants and enhance the quality of family life of affected families. More than 220 experts-healthcare professionals, patient representatives and other relevant stakeholders-have come together for the first time to develop a broad reference guidance in neonatology and associated fields. RESULTS: Ninety-six standards on 11 overarching topic areas were developed and endorsed. CONCLUSION: This reference framework serves as a basis for the development of binding national standards for high-quality care. A robust translation and implementation strategy is facilitated, with the goal of improved health outcomes following preterm birth all around Europe.