CMQCC has released a revised quality improvement toolkit:  “Improving Health Care Response to Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy”

This toolkit is an update to the California Department of Public Health and CMQCC’s existing Preeclampsia toolkit and contains expanded content to cover all hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). The toolkit was developed to support obstetrical providers, clinical staff, hospitals and healthcare organizations with timely recognition and response to maternal hypertension and preeclampsia. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related mortality and leading contributors to premature birth.

In addition to the expanded scope, other key changes from the first version of the toolkit include:

• Updated terminology and diagnostic criteria for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
• Management guidelines that are in alignment with recent changes in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists definition of severe hypertension with treatment guidelines for lower “borderline” blood pressure values
• Guidance on low-dose aspirin for prevention of preeclampsia and long-term follow up after hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
• Best practices including accurate blood pressure measurement, a Preeclampsia Early Recognition Tool (PERT) and nursing assessment protocols

The toolkit is available for everyone. To download, please log into CMQCC’s website. If you do not already have a CMQCC Account, you will need to complete a brief survey to initialize an account.