Developing an Interdisciplinary Community Action Team for Reduction in Maternal Mortality Related to Cardiovascular...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Cardiovascular Health
• Maternal Health

Background:

• Pregnancy-associated deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) frequently occur postpartum and are linked to delayed diagnosis.
• Maternal mortality review data indicates a high incidence of cardiac symptoms and healthcare encounters in the year preceding death.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on a community-informed strategy for developing an intervention to address cardiovascular disease (CVD) in pregnancy and the postpartum period.
• To establish an issue-specific Community Action Team (CAT) to select and refine a CVD intervention.

Main Methods:

• Leveraged city maternal mortality review committee data on CVD-related pregnancy-associated deaths to form a specialized CAT.
• Integrated stakeholder feedback from diverse care settings to optimize a quality improvement intervention for CVD screening.

Main Results:

• Maternal mortality review data revealed frequent cardiac symptoms and hospital evaluations before death.
• The CAT successfully identified and refined a CVD screening intervention for pregnancy and postpartum.
• Established a framework for rapid, citywide implementation of the revised algorithm and supporting materials.

Conclusions:

• Community Action Teams (CATs) offer a viable organizational model for incorporating community perspectives.
• CATs facilitate partnerships crucial for developing interventions targeting pregnancy-associated mortality.
• This approach can enhance the development and dissemination of effective maternal health strategies.