EDUCATIONAL TOOLS FOR PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS AROUND HYPERTENSIVE DISORDERS OF PREGNANCY AND FUTURE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), including preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, contribute significantly to maternal mortality and morbidity. Cardiovascular and hemodynamic changes associated with HDPs can persist postpartum and predispose patients to cardiovascular disease. Despite this well-established link, gaps in provider awareness, patient education, and effective health systems integration serve as barriers to preventative care. In this knowledge translation project, our aim was to approach this issue from both the provider and patient perspective; using current best practices and guidelines to develop innovative tools to support both groups and bridge these gaps.

 

Approach: A diverse interprofessional team including health professionals and persons with lived experience was involved in design and implementation of this project. We first conducted a literature review on current best practices around postpartum cardiovascular care in patients with HDPs, incorporating recommendations from the upcoming Canadian Postpregnancy Clinical Network guidelines.

 

From this foundation, we developed a provider toolkit to support postpartum cardiovascular care, comprising of timepoint-specific one-page documents. This toolkit was translated into the electronic medical record to further streamline its use in clinical workflows.

Patient education was approached through several avenues. Using social media, we engaged the broader community with informative posts on heart health promotion after pregnancy. Additionally, we created one-page documents that adapted information from our provider toolkit into an accessible format for general audiences. Finally, members of our team developed a virtual postpartum workshop for patients with a recent diagnosis of HDP.

Results: Our project culminated in the creation of both a provider-facing toolkit to support clinical decision making, and patient-facing materials to support heart-healthy behaviours. Involving those with lived experience throughout the conception, design, and implementation of these resources was crucial in ensuring that they were relevant, accessible, and patient-centered. Preliminary feedback from the interprofessional team emphasized the provider toolkit’s ease of use and clinical relevance as well as the accessibility and clarity of our patient materials.

 

Implications: The post-pregnancy period is a crucial window for cardiovascular risk assessment and intervention. By approaching this issue from both the provider and patient perspective, we hope to bridge the gap between HDP diagnosis and preventative care and facilitate earlier risk factor management in this high-risk population.