Transitioning to virtual interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on the family connects postpartum home visiting program activity.

Rybińska, Anna

Best, Debra L

Goodman, W Benjamin

Bai, Yu

Dodge, Kenneth A

2022-07-11T18:00:32Z

2022-07-11T18:00:32Z

2022-01-08

2022-07-11T18:00:31Z

In this paper, we analyze program activity for Family Connects (FC), an evidence-based postpartum home-visiting intervention, during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the pandemic began, FC transitioned to a virtual protocol which maintains key psychosocial components of the in-person protocol and adjusts health assessments to address the lack of in-person contact. Program performance is contrasted for periods before the pandemic onset (April 2019-March 2020) and after the onset (April 2020-March 2021), involving 10,280 scheduled visits and 6696 visited families (46% non-Hispanic white; 20% non-Hispanic Black; 23% Hispanic; and 10% other race). Post-pandemic onset, FC program participation rates were at 89.8% of pre-pandemic levels. Home visitors observed post-onset increases in families' concerns about home safety but declines in families' needs related to infant care. Community connections were facilitated for 42.9% of visited families post-pandemic onset compared to 51.1% pre-pandemic onset. We conclude that post-pandemic onset virtual delivery rates of FC declined but are high enough to merit continued implementation during a period when some families will decline in-person visits. When in-person visits are deemed safe per public health guidelines, the findings suggest a hybrid approach that could maximize program outreach by prioritizing in-person contact and offering virtual delivery as a second choice.

0163-9641

1097-0355

https://hdl.handle.net/10161/25478

eng

Wiley

Infant mental health journal

10.1002/imhj.21953

Humans

Postpartum Period

Infant

House Calls

Female

Pandemics

COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2

Transitioning to virtual interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on the family connects postpartum home visiting program activity.

Journal article

Goodman, W Benjamin|0000-0002-2417-1483

Dodge, Kenneth A|0000-0001-5932-215X

159

172

1

Duke

Sanford School of Public Policy

School of Medicine

Staff

Clinical Science Departments

Family Medicine and Community Health

Pediatrics

Family Medicine and Community Health, Community Health

Center for Child and Family Policy

Pediatrics, General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health

Published

43