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• Twenty-one percent of neonatologists with more than 10 years of experience said providing parents with a copy of their childs discharge plan is the most important step when discharging a preemie from the hospital. Only three percent of neonatologists with fewer years of experience named this as the most important step.

• Most pediatricians (56 percent) with 10 years of experience or less said they stop working with a preemies neonatologist immediately following discharge, whereas most pediatricians (54 percent) with 21 plus years of experience keep working with the neonatologist until their patient is at least three months old.

Late-preterm infants (defined as 34-to-35 weeks gestational age for the purpose of the survey) may not be on their doctors radars because of misconceptions about the risks these babies face.

• Fifty-eight percent of 34-to-35 week infants are perceived, by their surveyed doctors, as healthy (not at high-risk), even though they are premature and at high risk for RSV disease.

Doctors agree that there are a number of reimbursement and managed-care barriers to effective preemie care.

• Most physicians (70 percent) feel that the U.S. healthcare system does not dedicate enough emphasis and resources to preventive healthcare for premature infants.
  • Eighty-four percent of these physicians say they are willing to personally advocate for more preventive health services for preemies.

• Most pediatricians (69 percent) say their office staff spends more time on reimbursement for premature infants than for full-term babies. Seventy-seven percent say they spend more time on reimbursement for premature babies at high risk for serious RSV than for preemies who are not at high risk for serious RSV.

About the Survey

HCD Research, an inde
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