Improving maternity care to prevent deaths and serious complications
RP1 Praxis Project
This project tests whether training hospital teams and using patient-centered communication and care practices can lower preventable deaths and serious complications for pregnant and postpartum people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tulane University of Louisiana NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11158772 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, this project works with hospitals to change how maternity care is delivered by giving staff hands-on training, embedding proven communication and care practices into everyday quality processes, and coordinating with local community groups. Some hospitals will get the full, multifaceted program while others will continue with remote, asynchronous training, so researchers can compare outcomes. The team will follow care across the perinatal period through one year after birth to track preventable complications and deaths. Hospitals and providers will collect clinical and patient experience information to see whether the changes lead to safer, more respectful care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant people and those up to one year postpartum who receive care at hospitals taking part in the program, especially people at higher risk for maternal complications.
Not a fit: People who do not receive care at participating hospitals or whose health needs are unrelated to pregnancy and postpartum care are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could make maternity care more consistent and patient-centered and reduce preventable maternal deaths and serious complications.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier quality-improvement and communication-training efforts have improved some care practices and patient experience, but large-scale programs directly showing reduced maternal mortality remain limited.
Where this research is happening
New Orleans, United States
- Tulane University of Louisiana — New Orleans, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Perez, Susan — Tulane University of Louisiana
- Study coordinator: Perez, Susan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.