Our Journey in the NICU 2.1

The Emily Center at Phoenix Children’s Hospital offers the Our Journey™ in the NICU app, a valuable resource designed to assist families navigating the complexities of their child’s hospitalization. This tool aims to clarify essential information that parents need before bringing their child home, and it can also be relevant during clinic or emergency room visits.

Parents often find themselves in a challenging environment when their child is hospitalized; the constant activity of medical staff and the use of specialized terminology can be overwhelming. Health care providers may communicate what they believe is clear guidance, but it is crucial for parents to have confirmation of their understanding. The ability to articulate information in their own words can significantly bolster a parent's confidence in their comprehension of medical instructions.

The Our Journey™ in the NICU app is structured to:

• Facilitate ongoing dialogue between families and the healthcare team from the time of admission through the entire hospitalization process.
• Assist parents in identifying vital information they need before discharge.
• Provide a secure platform for parents to express uncertainty, ask questions, and seek clarity.
• Guide families on key topics to discuss or demonstrate to healthcare providers, enabling confirmation of knowledge and correction of any misunderstandings.
• Empower families with the confidence necessary for safely caring for their child at home, recognizing potential issues, and understanding appropriate responses.

About The Emily Center: Established in 1990 and named in memory of Emily Anderson, who bravely battled a rare form of leukemia for four years, The Emily Center was founded as a response to the lack of accessible health information. Emily's parents aimed to create a resource where families dealing with pediatric health concerns could find accurate and comprehensible information at no cost. For more details, visit The Emily Center website or follow on Twitter @emilycenter.

The development of the Our Journey™ in the NICU app has been made possible through a grant from Cox.