PRAMM: a patient-friendly digital program to reduce pregnancy-related morbidity
Official title: High reach, multi-level digital intervention for Pregnancy-Related and -Associated Morbidity and Mortality (PRAMM) Disparities
Funded at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences · NIH-11408530 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A digital program called PC-PRAMM uses a flexible app to screen pregnant people, share tailored guidance, and connect them to live help to reduce pregnancy-related complications.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (East Lansing, United States) |
| Project start | August 17, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $893,478 |
| NIH project number | 5U54HD113291-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11408530 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant individuals who use or could benefit from digital screening and connected support, especially women facing disparities in care.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not use digital tools or do not have access to the necessary technology may receive less or no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds on an existing Pregnancy Checkup app used in Michigan to screen for health risks during pregnancy and link users to services. It adds four levels of support—individual, family/support system, healthcare provider, and community—to address disparities in pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. Pregnant participants will have access to immediate, secure live chat with a Community Health Worker who can arrange connections to local services. Content is created with input from the communities served to ensure relevance and usefulness. The effort aims to be scalable and adaptable to reach more people over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower pregnancy-related risks by providing timely screening, personalized guidance, and easier access to care.
How similar studies have gone: Digital screening and tailored digital health interventions have shown promise in improving care access and outcomes in pregnancy-related care, with ongoing work to optimize reach and equity.
Where this research is happening
-
Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences
East Lansing, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ondersma, Steven J — Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Ondersma, Steven J
Related research
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Training program to reduce pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated morbidity and mortality disparities
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Multilevel, community-centered plan to reduce pregnancy-related illness and death and close disparities
A large, real-world trial will test a coordinated set of community and healthcare changes to reduce pregnancy complications and death, with a focus on Black, Hispanic, and Medicaid populations.
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Pregnancy and Heart Health: Predicting and Preventing Pregnancy-Related Cardiovascular Problems
A research grant is developing advanced data tools to identify pregnant women at high risk of heart-related complications so clinicians can prevent maternal death.
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This project is rolling out proven care bundles in hospitals and community clinics to help pregnant and postpartum people—especially Black birthing people—have fewer serious health problems and deaths.
-
Pregnancy Checkup app to lower pregnancy-related illness and deaths
This expands a pregnancy app to give pregnant people tailored risk screening, helpful content, and immediate live-chat support to connect them with services.
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.