Reducing delays in diagnosing heart failure after childbirth
Evaluating risk of diagnostic delay in peripartum cardiomyopathy
This project looks at why new mothers, especially Black women, are diagnosed late with peripartum cardiomyopathy and develops simple ways to help patients and clinicians recognize it sooner.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251293 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked to share your experience through surveys and interviews if you were recently diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, and researchers will combine these stories with medical record data. The team will also interview clinicians and examine health-system practices across the PPCM Consortium's roughly 60 U.S. sites to identify where and why delays happen. Using both numerical data and personal accounts, they will design a practical intervention to help patients and providers notice symptoms earlier. That intervention will be piloted in real clinics to see if it shortens time to diagnosis and improves outcomes, with particular attention to reducing racial disparities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are women recently diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, especially those referred through the PPCM Consortium and Black women who face higher risk.
Not a fit: People without recent postpartum heart failure, those with pre-existing heart disease, or anyone not receiving care at participating centers likely would not be eligible or directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help mothers get diagnosed and treated earlier, reducing severe heart damage and deaths and narrowing racial disparities in maternal outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has shown later diagnoses and worse outcomes for Black women with PPCM, but targeted interventions addressing patient, provider, and system causes of delay are limited, so this approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lewey, Jennifer — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Lewey, Jennifer
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.