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The emerging use of video in neonatology units raises ethical and practical questions. This study aims to gain a better understanding of the suitability, limitations and constraints concerning the use of live video as a tool in neonatal clinical practice. The perceptions of parents and healthcare professionals in regard to live video were examined. Nine focus groups were conducted in four neonatal units involving 20 healthcare professionals and 19 parents.
Data were triangulated using transcripts and field notes and analyzed using inductive and semantic thematic analysis. Both parents and healthcare professionals found video recording useful and acceptable if measures were taken to protect the data and mitigate any negative impacts on healthcare professionals. Technology is increasingly present in hospitals [ 1 , 2 ], with the emergence of electronic medical records and e-prescriptions [ 3 ], the use of telemedicine [ 4 ] and the use of local networks to share medical data.
Video recording has also shown its potential in the field of medical training through simulation [ 5 ] and e-learning [ 6 ] and has started to emerge in healthcare services. While the use of video is currently not common practice in neonatology, it has increased to meet new needs such as photoplethysmography, video laryngoscopy or webcams to enable virtual visit [ 7 — 9 ].
Webcams have been used [ 10 — 14 ] for several years either to limit the impact of parent-child separation or when parental presence is limited to promote early emotional bonding and reduce separation anxiety. Few data are available on how parents and healthcare professionals perceive this technology. Yeo et al. Hawkes et al. Most parents were in favor of this implementation, in contrast to healthcare professionals who were mostly unfavorable.
