Our Research Process

The Problem

  • High blood pressure during pregnancy, if not managed properly, can lead to serious complications like pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, which can result in lifelong health issues or even death.
  • Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are major contributors to maternal morbidity and mortality (3M) and increase women’s lifetime risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.

A Closer Look at the Components of High-quality Care for Pregnancy-related Hypertension

During ACHIEVE's Phase I Pilot study, researchers and community partners tested implementation strategies for the Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy patient safety bundle (HTN bundle), known to be effective in hospital settings, in three rural outpatient clinic settings. These strategies are intended to increase outpatient clinics' uptake of the core components of the HTN bundle by making adoption feasible and sustainable in outpatient settings. 

The HTN Bundle Components:
  1. Readiness assessment of clinics for changing practices 
  2. Recognition of high blood pressure 
  3. Response to those experiencing pregnancy-related high blood pressure 
  4. Reporting and system learning to track clinic changes 
  5. Respectful and supportive care in patient treatment. 

More detailed descriptions of bundle components can be found by following this link: AIM's HTN Bundle Components' Descriptions (2022)

More About ACHIEVE's Study