Am J Perinatol 2024; 41(S 01): e1570-e1574
DOI: 10.1055/a-2053-7513
Clinical Opinion

HOPE and DREAM: A Two-Clinic NICU Follow-up Model

Katherine Carlton
1   Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
,
Samuel Adams
2   Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
,
Elizabeth Fischer
3   Division of Pediatric Psychology and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
,
Andrew Foy
4   Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
,
Amy Heffelfinger
5   Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
,
Jenna Jozwik
2   Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
,
Irene Kim
4   Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
,
Jennifer Koop
5   Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
,
Lauren Miller
5   Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
,
Stacy Stibb
6   Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
,
1   Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
› Author Affiliations

Funding This project was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), through grant numbers UL1TR001436 and TL1TR001437. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
Preview

Abstract

Objective The natural extension of inpatient-focused neonatal neurocritical care (NNCC) programs is the evaluation of long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in the same patient population.

Clinical Design A dedicated and collaborative team of neonatologists, neonatal neurologists, neuropsychologists, neurosurgeons, physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, and psychologists are necessary to provide personalized medicine, developmental assessments, and parental education for NNCC graduates. To achieve this goal, we devised a two-clinic follow-up model at Children's Wisconsin: HOPE (Healthy Outcomes Post-ICU Engagement) and DREAM: Developmentally Ready: Engagement for Achievement of Milestones) clinics. Those infants with significant neurologic diagnoses attend DREAM clinic, while all other high-risk neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants are seen in the HOPE clinic.

Conclusion These clinic models allow for a targeted approach to post-NICU care, which has improved family engagement and perceptions of value.

Key Points

  • Infants with neurologic compromise are a specialized population with increasing survival.

  • Interdisciplinary NICU follow-up brings together previously separated outpatient service lines.

  • Our novel clinic model allows for specialized developmental assessments.

Authors' Contributions

K.C. and S.C. served as the primary writers and editors of the manuscript. S.A., E.F., A.F., A.H., J.J., I.K., J.K., L.M., and S.S., all played an active role in the two-clinic model described in this manuscript. In addition, these authors contributed to the writing and editing process.




Publication History

Received: 11 October 2022

Accepted: 24 February 2023

Accepted Manuscript online:
14 March 2023

Article published online:
17 April 2023

© 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Thieme Medical Publishers
333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.