Provision of Blood Pressure Cuffs to Reduce Disparities in Maternal Hypertensive Disease [ID 1643]

INTRODUCTION: Most pregnancy-related deaths in the United States occur in the postpartum (PP) period, and hypertensive disorders are the most common indication for PP readmission. A pilot program was initiated at one academic medical center with the goal of improving timely blood pressure (BP) monitoring. Blood pressure cuffs were provided to Medicaid patients with a hypertensive diagnosis during delivery admission. METHODS: Aim 1 reviewed program implementation during May 1, 2023, to July 31, 2023, and compared characteristics of patients that received BP cuffs to other eligible patients who did not. Aim 2 was a retrospective cohort study that compared outcomes of 85 patients who received a BP cuff from May 1, 2023, to June 31, 2024. These results were compared to the historical cohort of patients (n=85) in 2022. The primary outcome was BP checked within 10 days of delivery. Other PP health indicators were evaluated. RESULTS: Aim 1 results showed 92 patients were eligible to receive a BP cuff and only 26 patients (28%) received cuffs. In Aim 2, patients in the recipient group were more likely to have a documented BP reading within 10 days of delivery compared to patients in the control group (55% versus 40%; odds ratio [OR] 1.86; 95% CI, 1.01–3.41). Blood pressure cuff recipients also had a higher PP visit attendance rate (80% versus 63%; OR 2.30; 95% CI, 1.15–4.58). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Increasing patient-centered access to BP monitoring is a promising strategy to improve health outcomes for the most at-risk patients.