Standardized bedside feeding checks using the SMART Tool

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is a stepped-wedge, cluster randomized implementation across multiple NICUs in the Advocate Health Midwest Region where the SMART Tool replaces usual bedside feeding assessments. The SMART Tool is applied at every oral feed (up to eight times daily) and staff receive standardized training before each unit transitions to the tool. Researchers will compare clinical outcomes such as length of stay, feeding safety, and feeding quality using medical record data abstracted at discharge or death. Implementation and impact will be analyzed using the PRISM and RE-AIM frameworks.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Infants born between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026, AND admitted to NICU

Exclusion Criteria:

* No oral feeding started by July 15, 2026

Where it's running

• Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
  Barrington, Illinois, United States Recruiting
• Advocate Trinity Hospital
  Chicago, Illinois, United States Recruiting
• Advocate Sherman Hospital
  Elgin, Illinois, United States Recruiting
• Advocate Condell Medical Center
  Libertyville, Illinois, United States Recruiting
• Advocate Christ Medical Center (Advocate Children's Hospital - Oak Lawn)
  Oak Lawn, Illinois, United States Recruiting
• Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (Advocate Children's Hospital - Park Ridge)
  Park Ridge, Illinois, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Elizabeth Jensen, MPH, PhD — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
• Study coordinator: Ravi Mishra, MBBS,MD,FAAP
• Email: ravi.mishra@aah.org
• Phone: 804.464.7472

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.