Implementation of the Hear Her Campaign [ID: 1339546]

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2020 Hear Her Campaign educates pregnant women, their support networks, and providers about urgent maternal warning signs, and empowers women to speak up; however, the effectiveness of this campaign is unknown. In 2021, our institution displayed and distributed campaign materials and formally coached patients. We performed a retrospective cohort study to assess the effects of this initiative on prenatal visits and postpartum office and emergency room visits and patient–provider communications in an urban, academic medical center. METHODS: A 3-month period before and after promotion of the Hear Her campaign was studied. Patients who delivered July 1, 2021, to September 30, 2021, were the study group, and patients who delivered July 1, 2019, to September 30, 2019, were the control group. Demographic data, number of prenatal visits, postpartum office and emergency room visits, and patient–provider communications were compared. Mann-Whitney, χ2, and Fisher's exact tests were used for analysis. This study was IRB approved. RESULTS: The study group had 346 patients, and the control, 369. Maternal demographics were similar. Median number of prenatal visits, postpartum follow-up rates, and median number of patients presenting to the emergency department postpartum were similar between the study and control groups, 7 versus 8, 68.2% versus 69.6%, and 57 (16.5%) versus 50 (13.6%), respectively. Patient–provider communications significantly increased, with 11.6% of patients communicating from 1.6% (P<.0001). CONCLUSION: Promotion of the Hear Her Campaign in this inner-city cohort correlated with an increase in maternal interaction with the health care system via patient–provider communication without increasing the use of emergency department services. More studies are needed to evaluate the effect on maternal health outcomes.