Outpatient Portal Use and Blood Pressure Management during Pregnancy

We investigated the association between systole and diastole, and outpatient portal use during pregnancy. We used electronic and administrative data from our academic medical center. We categorized patients into two groups: (<140 mm Hg; <90 mm Hg), and out-of-range (≥140 mm Hg, ≥ 90 mm Hg). Random effects linear regression models examined the association between mean trimester blood pressure (BP) levels and portal use, adjusting for covariates. As portal use increased, both systole and diastole levels decreased for the out-of-range group. These differences were statistically significant for patients who were initially out-of-range. For the in-range group, systole and diastole levels were stable as portal use increased. Results provide evidence to support a relationship between outpatient portal use and BP outcomes during pregnancy. More research is needed to expand on our findings, especially those focused on the implementation and design of outpatient portals for pregnancy.