(792) Missed connections: exploring the gap in patient awareness of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy diagnoses

Friday, January 31, 2025

10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Submitting Author and Presenting Author(s)

Julia Thelen, BS (she/her/hers)

Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI, United States

Coauthor(s)

AH

Alyssa M. Hernandez, DO

Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
ES

Eleanor Saffian, RN

Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Anna Palatnik, MD

Associate Professor
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Objective: To evaluate patients’ awareness of a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) diagnosis following their most recent pregnancy.

Study Design: A 24-question survey was given to patients with a recent HDP diagnosis who delivered at a tertiary care center in 2022-2024. HDP was defined as gestational hypertension or preeclampsia. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses compared demographics, clinical characteristics, and survey responses stratified by ability to recall an HDP diagnosis.

Results: Of the 1,072 survey recipients, 355 (33.1%) responded and were included in analysis. The mean interval between childbirth and survey distribution was 11.2 months (±7.7m) and was not significantly different between study groups (p=0.29). Among respondents, 87 (24.5%) were unaware of or could not recall their HDP diagnosis. 96.1% of patients who recalled their diagnosis recalled discussing blood pressure during their birth admission compared to only 71.6% of patients who did not recall their diagnosis. Patients who were less likely to be aware or were unable to recall a diagnosis of HDP were more likely to be Hispanic (p=0.02), not college educated (p=0.01), publicly insured (p=0.02), WIC-eligible (p=0.05), diagnosed during the intra- or postpartum period (p=0.001), and deliver at full term (p< 0.001). Patients with gestational hypertension were less likely to recall their diagnosis compared to those diagnosed with preeclampsia with severe features (p< 0.001).

Conclusion: Awareness and recall of a prior HDP diagnosis was influenced by demographic factors and clinical characteristics indicative of disease severity. Since history of HDP is a significant risk factor for future pregnancies and lifelong cardiovascular health, further research exploring this gap in awareness is needed to optimize patient education during the index pregnancy.