Digital-Enhanced Interdisciplinary Care in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs): A Perspective

Farzadi, Zohreh; Alipour, Negar; Cheraghian, Tayebeh

doi:10.22087/ijac.2025.558186.1074

Digital-Enhanced Interdisciplinary Care in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs): A Perspective

Document Type : Comment

Authors

Zohreh Farzadi ¹

Negar Alipour ²

Tayebeh Cheraghian ³

¹ Florence-Nightingale Hospital, Kaiserswerther Diakonie, Düsseldorf, North Rhine–Westphalia, Germany

² Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

³ Cardiovascular Research Center, Shahid Rahimi Hospital, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

10.22087/ijac.2025.558186.1074

Abstract

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is one of the most technologically advanced and interdependent environments in modern healthcare. Delivering high-quality care to premature or critically ill newborns requires uninterrupted coordination among physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, developmental specialists, psychologists, social workers, and the family. However, traditional siloed models of practice often hinder communication, delay clinical decision-making, and reduce opportunities for meaningful parental involvement. Over the past decade, interdisciplinary approaches built on shared goals, structured communication, and collaborative teamwork have been associated with stronger safety cultures, enhanced staff cohesion, and improvements in selected clinical outcomes. Simultaneously, the rapid growth of digital health technologies has reshaped expectations within NICU teams. Tools such as tele-neonatology networks, integrated physiological monitoring platforms, digital dashboards, parent-facing communication portals, and emerging artificial intelligence (AI)-based decision-support systems are redefining information flow and team coordination in care. However, introducing these technologies requires more than simply deploying devices. This calls for a thoughtful redesign of communication pathways, alignment of clinical workflows, targeted interprofessional training, and adaptive governance structures that preserve human connections and reinforce family centered care. This perspective synthesizes current evidence and conceptual insights to examine how digitally enabled interdisciplinary care can be effectively implemented in the NICU. We describe key domains, including technological integration, team communication, competency development, and organizational leadership, that support successful and sustainable adoption. We conclude with practical recommendations for aligning human, technological, and system-level components to strengthen the safety culture, operational efficiency, and family experience in neonatal care. Rather than presenting new empirical data, this article offers a conceptual roadmap for transforming digital innovation into meaningful interdisciplinary collaboration.

Keywords

Neonatal intensive care

Interdisciplinary care

Teleneonatology

Digital health

Simulation-based education

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