Evaluating a Clinical Decision Support Tool to Identify and Manage Postpartum Depression Risk in Pregnant Women

What this Trial Is About

This trial evaluates a clinical decision support CDS tool designed to help healthcare providers identify and manage patients at risk of developing postpartum depression PPD. The study aims to assess whether this tool is acceptable, feasible, and improves the use of mental health services for women during and after pregnancy. It is a randomized clinical trial involving pregnant women and is sponsored by Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Participants are divided into two groups one receiving usual care and the other receiving care assisted by the CDS tool. The CDS tool alerts clinicians only if patients are at high risk of PPD, providing risk scores, risk factors, and recommended actions including referrals and educational resources. Clinicians then decide how to manage care, which may include referrals to nutrition or behavioral health services or no action. The control group receives standard care without CDS alerts. During the study, participants and clinicians are monitored for the tools acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility at one and three months after initiating its use. Researchers will track mental health service use by counting mental health visits within the same time frames. The study will last from July 2026 to December 2026, with outcomes measured via questionnaires and service usage data to understand if the CDS improves care for postpartum depression.

Implementation of a Clinical Decision Support Tool for Postpartum Depression