Bridging the Gap From Postpartum to Primary Care

Individuals will be randomized with equal probability into either a treatment or control arm. The intervention combines several features designed to target reasons for low take-up of primary care among postpartum individuals. This project will leverage the potential value of defaults/opt-out, salient information, and reminders to encourage use of primary care. Individuals in both the intervention and control arms will receive information via the study institution's patient portal toward the end of the pregnancy regarding the importance and benefits of primary care in the postpartum year. This information will be similar to, but reinforcing, the information they would receive from their obstetrician about following up with their primary care physician. In addition to this initial message, individuals in the treatment arm will receive the following intervention components, developed based on recent evidence regarding behavioral science approaches to activating health behaviors:

• Targeted messages about the importance and benefits of primary care
• Default scheduling into a primary care appointment at approximately 3-4 months after delivery
• Reminders about the appointment and importance of follow up primary care at 2-4 points during the postpartum period via the patient portal
• Tailored language in the reminders based on recent evidence from behavioral science about the most effective approaches to increasing take-up. For example, messages will inform the patient that an appointment is being held for them at their doctor.
• Salient labeling on follow-up appointments
• Direct PCP messaging about the scheduled follow-up

Inclusion criteria

• Estimated date of delivery and the following 4-month postpartum outcome assessment window completed prior to study end date
• Currently pregnant or within 2 weeks of delivery
• Have one or more of the following conditions: 1) Chronic hypertension, 2) Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy or risk factors for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy per the USPSTF aspirin prescribing guidelines (e.g., history of pre-eclampsia, kidney disease, multiple gestation, autoimmune disease), 3) Type 1 or 2 diabetes, 4) Gestational diabetes, 5) Obesity (pre-pregnancy body mass index ≥30 kg/m2), 6) Depression or anxiety disorder
• Have a primary care provider listed in the electronic health record (EHR)
• Receive obstetric care at the study institution's outpatient prenatal clinic
• Have access to and be enrolled in the EHR patient portal and consents to be contacted via these modalities
• Able to read/speak English or Spanish language
• Age ≥18 years old
• Not actively known to have or undergoing work-up for fetal demise

Exclusion criteria

• No primary care provider listed in the EHR
• Primary language other than English or Spanish
• No access to online patient EHR portal