Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Hypertension Quality Improvement


The AIM (Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health) Hypertension Quality Improvement Project (QIP) is a quality improvement project that falls under the larger Maternal Safety Quality Improvement initiative sponsored by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). The leading causes of pregnancy-related death in Ohio include cardiovascular and coronary conditions, infections, hemorrhage, preeclampsia and eclampsia, and cardiomyopathy, and a review of all pregnancy-related deaths from 2012-2016 found that over half of these deaths were preventable. In order to reduce the rate of preventable deaths attributed to hypertensive diseases of pregnancy in Ohio, targeted interventions at the provider, hospital, and system levels are required.

The AIM Hypertension QIP is administered by the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC), and in partnership with The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, MetroHealth, and the Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative. The AIM Hypertension QIP seeks to address severe maternal morbidity and mortality by implementing best clinical practices and quality improvement tools to treat hypertensive diseases of pregnancy. In addition, through collaboration with clinical leaders and state partners, the project aims to prioritize a focus on health equity in order to achieve the goal of reducing disparities in maternal care.

In the first phase of the project, an advisory group comprised of project partners developed a clinical change package based on best practices identified by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative to help establish practice guidelines for maternity hospitals in Ohio. The change package incorporated evidence-based interventions centering on the “4 R” domains established in the AIM patient safety bundles, including: Readiness, Recognition, Response, and Reporting. With the support of quality improvement coaches, participating sites tested strategies and interventions to implement best clinical practices, including blood pressure measurement, management, and treatment, recognition of maternal early warning signs, and effective, timely treatment of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Data from each participating site’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) was submitted and analyzed on a monthly basis to track project progress and provide a feedback mechanism for each team to evaluate the performance of PDSA testing cycles. In aggregate, the cohort achieved improvements in all project data measures during the first year of the project.

In 2020, the initial wave of the AIM Hypertension QIP activity engaged 30 maternity hospitals, with outreach focusing on sites with the highest delivery volume. The second wave of the project, including 23 additional hospitals, began onboarding in summer 2021. Sites from both project waves will continue project activities through September 2022. Subsequent waves will leverage lessons learned during the initial phase regarding quality improvement activities and data submission and analysis.

 

Resources for Families and Moms-to-Be

The listed resources are available to you and your family to help meet your needs. The links below contain detailed information for each type of resource, including contact information, website, hours of operation, and a description of the resource.

Transportation Health Care Housing Prenatal Care/OBGYN
Training/Education Food Clothing/Child Care Supplies Baby Classes/Support
Child Care Legal Aid Finance Domestic & Sexual Abuse Support
Smoking Cessation Mental Health Environmental Health  

 

Project Resources

Change Package (PDF)