Bridges to Primary Care: Transforming Postpartum Primary Care Coordination for People With Chronic Conditions

What this Trial Is About

Many pregnant people have chronic medical conditions or pregnancy-related health issues that increase their risk for long-term disease. Despite being closely followed during pregnancy, many experience a drop in healthcare support after delivery, missing important primary care visits. This trial aims to improve postpartum primary care engagement, quality, and patient experience by using a behavioral economics-based program integrated into usual inpatient postpartum care. The goal is to make primary care coordination a standard part of postpartum care and promote ongoing health management. The study compares routine postpartum care with an intervention that schedules primary care visits by default, sends tailored reminder messages to patients, provides ongoing care recommendations to their primary care clinicians, and gives patients a summary of care suggestions after pregnancy. This randomized controlled trial will include 1,320 participants and assess outcomes at multiple time points after delivery. Participants will be followed through surveys and medical records to assess completion of primary care visits, use of recommended screenings and counseling, patient-reported mental health, and primary care engagement over time. The study will monitor these outcomes at 155, 365, and 548 days after delivery to understand the intervention's impact on care continuity and patient experience. The trial aims to provide evidence to improve postpartum care for people with chronic conditions.

Facilitated Transitions From Postpartum to Primary Care Coordination for People With Chronic Conditions