Advancing

EVIDENCE BASED CARE

Transforming outcomes through data, innovation and real-world evidence for substance-exposed infants

Research to Innovation

At NASCEND, research is core to our mission of changing how the world cares for opioid-exposed newborns. Our work bridges frontline practice and scientific rigor to evaluate real-world outcomes, strengthen clinical quality, standardize care and scale interventions that guide better beginnings for infants and families. We focus on high-burden and under-resourced settings while ensuring broad applicability across diverse care environments.

Featured Study

Digital Health Technology Reduces Treatment Days and Medication Use in Opioid-Exposed Newborns

Authors: K. Dawn Forbes, MD, MS; Christine Cooper, MSN, NNP-BC; Christina Waldon, BSN

Poster presented at: Hot Topics in Neonatology, Washington, DC — December 2025

Affiliation: NASCEND PBC, Louisville, Kentucky

Outcomes at a Glance

Pre-AssessPro vs AssessPro

47%

Treated with Morphine (%)

7.2

Length of Treatment (days)

11.9

4.8

Length of Hospital Stay, All OEN (days)

Pre-AssessPro AssessPro

Abstract

Population: 222 OEN ≥36 weeks gestation

Download Abstract

Objective

To evaluate whether digitizing an existing manual assessment and treatment process into a mobile app (AssessPro) - while keeping the same 6-symptom assessment and responsive dual-medication algorithm - further improved outcomes for opioid-exposed newborns (OEN) compared to the original manual implementation.

Methods

Brief

A pre-post cohort comparison of the manual, paper-based process (pre-AssessPro) versus the digitized mobile app version (AssessPro). Both groups followed the same standardized protocol; the only difference was manual vs. app-based delivery of the assessment and treatment algorithm.

Key Findings

Morphine use dropped from 47.0% to 7.0% (85%, p<0.001).
Treatment days decreased from 16.0 to 7.2 days (55%, p=0.002).
Hospital stay for all OEN decreased from 11.9 to 4.8 days (60%, p<0.001).
Improvements occurred despite more complex polysubstance exposures in the AssessPro group.

Discussion

Use of a point-of-care digital tool improved standardization and significantly reduced treatment duration, medication use, and hospital stay for OENs, even in the context of increased exposure complexity. AssessPro shows promise as a scalable solution for reducing practice variation and improving outcomes. Broader validation is warranted.

Partner with NASCEND

We collaborate with hospitals, universities, and research teams to advance evidence-based care for substance-affected pregnancies and opioid-exposed newborns.

To explore research partnerships, data-sharing opportunities, or joint studies, contact us.

PIALASPORT Platform Game Online x NASCEND Research | NASCEND, the new paradigm of care for NAS

PIALASPORT dan NASCEND Research hadir dalam satu judul yang memancing rasa ingin tahu, karena memadukan platform dengan gagasan paradigma baru untuk care for NAS. Kombinasi ini membuat pembaca penasaran pada arah pembahasannya sejak awal.

Di sini, fokusnya tetap pada kata-kata yang sudah muncul di judul: platform, research, dan NASCEND sebagai pembeda utama. Pendekatan seperti ini membantu menjaga alur pembahasan tetap relevan tanpa keluar dari tema yang ditetapkan.

Jika Anda ingin memahami bagaimana PIALASPORT dikaitkan dengan NASCEND dan narasi care for NAS, bacaan ini memberi pijakan yang lebih rapi. Simak alurnya untuk melihat bagaimana kedua nama itu disusun dalam satu konteks.