Background
Low-dose aspirin (81 mg) is a treatment known to help lower the risk of preeclampsia. However, not everyone who is at higher risk is told to take it. This study looks at whether a screening tool for preeclampsia risk can be added to the electronic health record. The goal is to remind doctors and other clinicians to recommend low-dose aspirin when needed. The study also checks if screening rates differ based on race, ethnicity, language, or insurance type.

Methods
In September 2022, a standard preeclampsia risk screening tool was introduced. It was meant to be used for all pregnant patients to determine if they should take low-dose aspirin. To study how well this worked, researchers looked back at records of patients who gave birth at a medical center between July 2023 and June 2024. The main goal of the study was to see how often the tool was used. This was measured by the percentage of patients screened each month. The study also looked at whether screening rates were different based on social and demographic factors. Statistical tests were used to compare groups and measure these differences over time.

Results
A total of 4,556 patients were included in the study. Of these, 2,521 (55.3%) were screened using the tool. Use of the tool increased over time, from 46.2% in the first month to 67.4% in the last month. On average, tool usage increased by about 7% each month over one year. However, some groups were less likely to be screened. Compared to non-Hispanic White patients, Hispanic/Latino patients were less likely to be screened. Patients who did not speak English were also less likely to be screened than those who did. In addition, patients with public insurance were less likely to be screened than those with private insurance.

Conclusions
Preeclampsia risk screening increased substantially after implementing this standardized tool into the electronic medical record which demonstrated its feasibility.

However, there were still differences in who got screened based on race, ethnicity, language, and insurance type. In other words, there were still disparities to overcome despite implementing a standardized, usable tool.

Take Home Message: Future studies should further study how to use preeclampsia screening tools to reduce disparities, so everyone gets the care they need. For pregnant individuals, don’t assume risk for preeclampsia will automatically be checked; ask about it early, in the first trimester. If a pregnant patient has risk factors, such as the first pregnancy, high blood pressure, higher BMI, or a history of complications, this question is even more important. This study clarified that clinicians and healthcare systems can make preeclampsia risk screening automatic, standardized, and equitable in an electronic medical record system. For more information about preeclampsia risk factors and aspirin, visit https://preeclampsia.org/aspirin.

Citation: Rogerson D, Thorlund-Díaz C, Jacobs MB, Blank L, Mesina O, Ruppin-Pham A, Tarsa M, Gyamfi-Bannerman C, Teal EN. Feasibility of implementing a standardized preeclampsia risk screening tool into the electronic medical record. Pregnancy (Hoboken). 2026 Jan;2(1):e70205. doi: 10.1002/pmf2.70205. Epub 2025 Dec 28. PMID: 41693745; PMCID: PMC12896081. Feasibility of implementing a standardized preeclampsia risk screening tool into the electronic medical record - PMC

About Research Roundup:

Each quarter, our team of science writers reviews the most current research studies related to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and summarizes those studies of greatest interest and potential impact to our community, including research studies related to risk assessment, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Special thanks to our volunteer research team including Dr. Sig-Linda Jacobson, Dr. Jennifer Mitchell, Dr. Julie Reynolds, Amanda Yang, and Simren Gupta who make Research Roundup possible, and to our Patient Advisory Council, who reviews these materials from the patient perspective.