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Implementation of the Baby Bridge program via telehealth to enhance access to early intervention services in Los Angeles

ReHaB Core ⟩ NICU Lab ⟩

The long-term goal of this project is to improve health and well-being of infants and families impacted by neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization through early occupational therapy (OT). High-risk infants discharged from the NICU experience developmental challenges. Early OT: 1) improves early sensory and motor experiences that foster participation in play and meaningful activities, 2) enables education and support of parents, improving early parent-infant interaction and successful engagement in the parental role, and 3) aids in the transition from the complex and supervised NICU environment to the home environment that requires higher levels of self-management. Although an OT referral is often received at NICU discharge, families wait an average of 5 months for services. Barriers are often system-related and especially affect families with social and health inequities who need the services the most. The Baby Bridge program consists of an OT providing specialized in-home therapy until other community-based therapy begins. Telehealth is on the rise and could further increase access to care. This project adapts the Baby Bridge program to a telehealth model and determines its adoptability, acceptability and cost. This project will increase our understanding of telehealth OT for infants and families after NICU discharge.

Funding

Type	Source	Amount
Private	American Occupational Therapy Foundation	$100,000

USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org.

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. All states require licensure to practice; a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® OTR certification examination or attain state licensure. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.