Improving Women's Health Through Coordinated Postpartum Planning

Study Summary

The purpose of the study is to design, implement, and evaluate a holistic postpartum women's health care system for women who have cardiovascular risk factors for severe maternal morbidity (SMM) including chronic hypertension, chronic diabetes, gestational diabetes, pre-pregnancy obesity, or a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) which includes gestational hypertension or preeclampsia. The researchers will use a sequential mixed methods design. First, the researchers will conduct in-depth interviews with women who have given birth in the prior year to characterize barriers and facilitators to accessing postpartum care. The information from these interviews will be used to inform the design of a postpartum care system. Next, the researchers will conduct a pragmatic randomized trial to test the effectiveness of the system on postpartum care engagement versus standard of care.

Primary Outcome

The postpartum visit occurs between 4 and 12 weeks after delivery and is defined as a preventive care visit with an obstetric care provider (e.g., obstetrician-gynecologist, certified nurse midwife, or primary care provider with additional training relevant to postpartum care) that included an assessment of assessing multiple aspects of physical and mental health. Comprehensive postpartum visit attendance was identified using data from medical records using a standardized abstraction form.

Interventions

• BEHAVIORAL Enhanced Postpartum Care System