A scoping review of e-health interventions for the well-being of preterm parents: Current evidence and future directions

Objectives: This scoping review aims to explore e-health interventions for parents of preterm infants, focusing on their sociopsychological well-being. Background: Preterm birth impacts infant development, parents and families' psychological well-being, often causing increased anxiety, depression, and guilt. E-health interventions, using digital technologies for health care communication and support, have shown potential in chronic care, but evidence in neonatal settings remains limited. Methods: This scoping review maps studies on e-health interventions for parents of preterm infants, focusing on psychological support. Peer-reviewed articles in English were sourced from PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and others, yielding 19 studies from a total extraction of 318. Results: These studies examined various e-health interventions, such as videoconferencing in the neonatal intensive care unit and web-based education, mainly assessing parental satisfaction, anxiety reduction, and perceived care quality. Most studies were from North America and Europe, focusing largely on mothers, highlighting a research gap on fathers and other caregivers. Parents generally welcomed e-health tools, yet the overall impact on well-being is uncertain due to limited qualitative research and lack of attention to diverse family structures. Conclusions: e-health interventions for preterm parents care show promising results but require personalization and training to ensure effectiveness across diverse parental experiences with technology. Implications: Further research should promote inclusive and accessible e-health interventions by addressing diverse family and parent needs and reducing barriers related to the digital divide—that is, disparities in access to technology, internet connectivity, and digital literacy.