Visual education tool to help postpartum first-time mothers recognize urgent warning signs
Novel Visual Education Tool to Improve Recognition and Reporting of Postpartum Urgent Maternal Warning Signs
This project will test whether a simple picture-based education tool helps first-time English-speaking postpartum mothers recognize and report urgent maternal warning signs.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 40 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | Female |
| Sponsor | Northwestern University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Trial ID | NCT06912776 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Researchers will develop and compare two visual aid images based on the Council on Patient Safety in Women's Health Care urgent maternal warning signs, focusing specifically on symptoms that occur after delivery. Eligible participants are English-speaking, nulliparous women over age 18 in the postpartum period who will view either visual aid (appendix A or B). The study will measure participants' understanding of the warning signs and their reported likelihood to seek care after viewing the images. The goal is to improve anatomical accuracy while keeping images simple enough for people with varying health literacy.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are English-speaking, nulliparous women over 18 in the postpartum period who can provide informed consent.
Not a fit: Patients who are not fluent in English, have prior serious peripartum complications, require anticoagulation, have uncorrected visual or hearing impairments, or are healthcare providers may not receive benefit from these simplified visuals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the tool could help first-time postpartum mothers recognize dangerous symptoms sooner and seek care earlier.
How similar studies have performed: Prior visual education tools have improved symptom recognition in other clinical areas, though using an anatomically focused visual aid specifically for postpartum urgent maternal warning signs is a novel application.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Postpartum women * Nulliparity * Age \>18 years of age * English speaking patients Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to provide informed written consent * Refusal to participate in all study-related procedures * Patients not fluent in English * Patients with current or history of serious peripartum complications and/or events - such as DVT, PE, peripartum cardiomyopathy, etc. (in which the patient may have received more than standard clinical counseling) * Patient with comorbidities that potentially require anticoagulation i.e. coagulopathies and may be more prone to DVTs * Patients with uncorrected visual or hearing impairment * Healthcare providers (in which patients will have significant background knowledge)
Where this trial is running
Chicago, Illinois
- Northwestern Medicine — Chicago, Illinois, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Kaitlyn Neumann, MD — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Paul C Fitzgerald, RN,BSN,MS
- Email: p-fitzgerald2@northwestern.edu
- Phone: 3126951064
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.