Caregivers receive the IBDPS alongside usual care.

• Grounded in the theories of empowerment and "Timing It Right" (TIR), the IBDPS delivers continuous, individualized support through an information-based platform from admission to one month postdischarge, facilitating seamless integration of discharge preparation across both online and offline environments.
• Upon admission, caregivers register via WeChat, receiving tailored, stage-specific guidance on key topics such as "Growth," "Feeding," and "Sleep," aligned with the evolving needs of preterm infants. They can submit nursing concerns and assess their emotional state, with healthcare providers offering ongoing guidance. When the infant's condition stabilizes, caregivers can schedule NICU visits and engage in supervised bedside care training. Prior to discharge, hands-on training is provided. Postdischarge, caregivers upload growth data for continuous monitoring, with the option of home nurse visits.

Receive the usual care.

• Routine admission education includes inpatient guidelines, breast milk storage, and receiving processes.
• During hospitalization, healthcare providers are responsible for all infant care. Caregivers can visit three times a week at scheduled times, with visiting days arranged by the odd or even numbers of the inpatient ID. Visits are conducted via live video, allowing caregivers to consult with doctors about the infant's condition.
• Upon discharge, healthcare providers educate caregivers on discharge precautions and preterm infant care methods.
• Follow-up is conducted through phone calls and outpatient visits.

The main modules of the IBDPS platform include:

• Establishing information records for infants and parents.
• Collaboratively identifying existing or potential caregiving challenges.
• Assessing parents' emotional and psychological states, providing support and intervention.
• Collaboratively establishing caregiving objectives with parents.
• Collaboratively formulating and executing caregiving plans.
• Assessing parental support resources, offering analysis, assistance, and necessary referrals.
• Conducting outcome assessments.

The Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) - Parent Form was originally developed by Weiss et al. for assessing the readiness of parents for the discharge of their hospitalized children (0 to 18 years old). The Chinese version of the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (C-RHDS) - Parent Form, adapted by Chen et al. with authorization from the original authors, is utilized to evaluate the readiness of parents for the discharge of preterm infants. This 22-item scale includes four dimensions: Knowledge (9 items), Physical-emotional Status (7 items), Pain Status (2 items), and Expected Support (4 items). Each item is scored on a scale from 0 to 10 (0 = worst; 10 = best), with total scores ranging from 0 to 220. Higher scores reflect better readiness for discharge. The overall Cronbach α coefficient for this scale is 0.91.

The Chinese version of the Self-Assessment Questionnaire for Caregiving Ability of Parents of Preterm Infants, developed by Meng et al., is used to evaluate the caregiving ability of parents with preterm infants. This questionnaire consists of 18 items rated on a Likert scale from 1 to 5 (1 = not at all familiar; 5 = very familiar). It is divided into three dimensions: Knowledge of Preterm Infant Care (7 items), Caregiving Skills (7 items), and Caregiving Ability (4 items). The total score ranges from 18 to 90, with higher scores indicating better caregiving ability. The Cronbach α coefficient for the overall scale is 0.956.

The Parental Stressor Scale: NICU (PSS: NICU) was originally developed by Miles and Funk et al. to measure parental stress during NICU hospitalization of their infants. The Chinese version of the Parental Stressor Scale: NICU (C-PSS: NICU), adapted by Li et al. with authorization from the original authors, uses a 5-point Likert scale (1 = no stress or anxiety; 5 = extreme stress or anxiety). This scale, consisting of 25 items, is divided into three dimensions: Infant Behavior and Appearance (13 items), Parental Role Alteration(7 items), and Sights and Sounds(5 items).The total score ranges from 25 to 125, with higher scores reflecting greater levels of parental stress and anxiety. The scale demonstrates strong internal consistency, with a Cronbach α coefficient of 0.856.