Information and Communications Technology and Education Customized for Fathers of Preterm Infants

Abstract

PurposeAlthough various educational technology interventions have been introduced to support parents of preterm infants, the interventions tend to focus on mothers over fathers. This study aims to advance understanding of the concerns and needs of fathers and seek opportunities of information technology to support them.Design and SampleA convenience sampling method recruited 18 parents (i.e., ten mothers and eight fathers of preterm infants) for interviews. The interview transcripts were analyzed by the inductive content analysis method.Main Outcome VariableThe analysis identified two main themes (i.e., customized education, learning styles and tools preferred by fathers) and five subthemes (i.e., infant care, self-care, self-regulated online learning, adaptive user interfaces of online education modules, and hands-on learning with multimedia).ResultsThe interviewed parents emphasized the importance of education customized for the fathers of preterm infants, and argued that an e-learning system has the potential to fulfill the fathers' educational needs.