Postpartum Hypertension

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a collaborative care intervention, consisting of remote blood pressure monitoring and support from community health workers, in improving blood pressure control and reducing postpartum complications among Black women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). The primary objectives are to determine whether the intervention leads to improved blood pressure control at 12 months postpartum compared to standard care, and whether it reduces the incidence of serious maternal morbidity, including hospitalizations and cardiovascular events. Secondary objectives include examining whether patient activation and trust in the healthcare system mediate the relationship between the intervention and clinical outcomes. Participants will be enrolled at approximately 6 weeks postpartum and randomized to either the collaborative care intervention or standard postpartum care. All participants will self-monitor blood pressure using a provided device, receive guidance on hypertension management, and complete study assessments at multiple time points. Participants assigned to the intervention arm will additionally receive ongoing support from community health workers, including health education, care coordination, and assistance with healthcare navigation. Clinical outcomes and patient-reported measures will be assessed over a 12-month follow-up period.

The goal of this study is to evaluate changes in blood pressure and early cardiovascular risk markers and to determine whether a postpartum education intervention can improve cardiovascular risk monitoring among pregnant women in their third trimester through six months postpartum in Accra, Ghana. The study includes women aged 18 years and older with and without pregnancy-related cardiometabolic complications. Findings from this study will inform the development of scalable postpartum screening and intervention strategies to reduce long-term cardiovascular disease risk among women.

The investigators primary project goal is to improve clinical outcomes, including mental health outcomes, among postpartum at-risk women experiencing health disparities by increasing awareness, detection, and timely care of postpartum hypertension, mental health and cardiovascular complications. The investigators will accomplish this by comparing the effectiveness of two multi-component multi-level healthcare delivery models focused on early detection and control of postpartum hypertension and the social and mental health factors known to impact maternal outcomes, with the current standard of care and with each other.