CMQCC, in partnership with March of Dimes, select hospitals statewide, and community organizations, is collaborating to promote the use of daily low-dose aspirin for women and birthing people at risk for preeclampsia. Low-dose aspirin, as recommended by a healthcare provider, is the only known effective solution to prevent preeclampsia.
About Preeclampsia
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, preeclampsia is a disorder of pregnancy associated with new-onset hypertension, which occurs most often after 20 weeks of gestation and frequently near term. It affects about 4% of pregnancies in the United States and accounts for 6% of preterm births. Black women and birthing individuals are at greater risk for developing preeclampsia, due to heightened experiences of racism, further exacerbating disparities in maternal health outcomes.
Resources for Pregnant Women/People
- March of Dimes "Learn about low-dose aspirin during pregnancy"
- Patient Information Sheet: "Let's Do Aspirin! To keep baby and you safe from preeclampsia" in English and Spanish
- Patient Poster: "Prevent Preeclampsia with Low-Dose Aspirin" for use in clinics and waiting rooms in English and Spanish
- Patient Scorecard: "Should I do aspirin...to keep me and my baby safe?" in English and Spanish
For Prenatal Healthcare Clinicians (Inpatient & Outpatient)
Low-Dose Aspirin Initiative: Collaborative Round 3
CMQCC, in collaboration with March of Dimes, is excited to invite organizations across California to join us in the Low-Dose Aspirin Initiative.
Goal: To implement a patient- and community-engaged quality improvement (QI) project aimed at increasing low-dose aspirin uptake and adherence for preeclampsia prevention.
When: Beginning in late June 2025
Who: California healthcare organizations that provide prenatal care or see patients early in pregnancy OR California community-based organizations that work with pregnant individuals
Structure: This initiative will have a sprint collaborative structure, to provide tailored support for implementing a QI project to improve low-dose aspirin uptake and adherence. The sprint collaborative will last six months with meetings held twice a month.
Curriculum: March of Dimes and CMQCC are publishing the Low-Dose Aspirin Implementation Guide in 2025, which will serve as the curriculum for this collaborative, including clinical and QI principles and supportive tools. Topics include:
- Team building and project planning
- Patient and community engagement
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Workflow improvements to include clinical best practices:
- Screening for preeclampsia
- Patient education
- Low-Dose Aspirin prescription
- Assessment of adherence
- Data planning for effective QI
- Spread and Sustainability
For questions or interest, contact:
- Sarah Vaillancourt, DNP, WHNP-BC, RN, CMQCC Outpatient Clinical Lead, info@cmqcc.org
- Lindsay du Plessis, DrPH, MPH, CMQCC Community Engagement Lead, info@cmqcc.org
Resources for Prenatal Healthcare Clinicians
- Communicating with Patients: How to Talk About Preeclampsia and Low Dose Aspirin with Patients
- Continuing Medical Education: Low Dose Big Benefits: Raising Awareness of Low Dose Aspirin to Reduce the Negative Impacts of Preeclampsia (Free offering, 1.0 CME, CPE, and CNE)
- Findings: U.S. Preventive Task Force "Final Recommendation Preeclampsia Screening"
- Patient Information Sheet: "Let's Do Aspirin! To keep baby and you safe from preeclampsia" in English and Spanish
- Patient Poster: "Prevent Preeclampsia with Low-Dose Aspirin" for use in clinics and waiting rooms in English and Spanish
- Patient Scorecard: "Should I do aspirin...to keep me and my baby safe?" in English and Spanish
- Slide Set: Mini Grand Rounds: Low-dose Aspirin (LDA) Campaign to Reduce Preeclampsia and Related Preterm Birth
- Toolkit for Hospitals: Improving Health Care Response to Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Toolkit (an evidence-based QI toolkit includes a section on low-dose aspirin)
- Webinar Series:
Funding Acknowledgement
This work is generously funded by March of Dimes.
Shareable Resources from March of Dimes
Learn more about March of Dimes’ Low Dose, Big Benefits campaign.