Effect of a quality improvement intervention with safety-based checklists for perinatal health of hypertension disorders in pregnancy

Objective: To improve perinatal management for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) using checklists.

Methods: A pre-post evaluation of the implementation of checklists was performed. The checklist for HDP was adapted for the local context through expert consultations and had been used within peripartum since September 2017. Data of 763 women with singleton pregnancies diagnosed with HDP were collected between April 2016 and March 2019 at the Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University. The monitoring and control groups consisted of 394 and 369 cases, respectively. Analysis was carried out by intention-to-treat with respect to maternal and fetal complications and delivery outcomes.

Results: After the implementation of the checklists, patients had a significant reduction in anti-hypertensive treatment both orally (P = 0.028) and intravenously (P = 0.003), and increased utilization rate of MgSO₄ management (P < 0.001). Gestation was prolonged in the expectant treatment (P = 0.012) and the rate of elective and intrapartum cesarean delivery decreased (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). The neonates of these patients had a low rate of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: National clinical guidelines complied critically after the implementation of the checklists. These checklists could be used for improving the quality of the clinical strategy and treatment, which benefitted perinatal management.