AHA, Epic Launching Initiative on EHR Tools Supporting Postpartum Hemorrhage Management

Why It Matters

Reducing postpartum hemorrhage improves maternal outcomes and lowers costly readmissions, directly impacting hospital quality metrics and value‑based payments.

Key Takeaways

• Seven‑month collaborative targets postpartum hemorrhage reduction
• Monthly expert webinars begin March 12
• Epic provides EHR tools for real‑time alerts
• AHA offers personalized office hours for participants
• Peer learning forums foster best‑practice sharing

Pulse Analysis

Postpartum hemorrhage remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide, accounting for roughly 25 % of pregnancy‑related deaths in the United States. Hospitals that can detect excessive bleeding early and intervene promptly see dramatically lower morbidity rates. The American Hospital Association’s partnership with Epic addresses this gap by leveraging clinical data, decision support, and standardized protocols to turn raw EHR information into actionable insights. By focusing on a seven‑month learning cycle, the initiative aims to embed evidence‑based practices directly into bedside workflows.

The Safer Births PPH Collaborative blends structured education with peer‑to‑peer interaction, delivering monthly webinars led by obstetrics experts and interactive forums where hospitals can compare outcomes. Epic’s integrated EHR modules supply real‑time blood‑loss tracking, automated alerts, and order‑set recommendations that align with the latest clinical guidelines. Participants also receive dedicated office hours, allowing AHA and Epic teams to troubleshoot configuration issues and tailor analytics to each facility’s volume and staffing model. This hands‑on support accelerates adoption and ensures that technology enhancements translate into measurable quality improvements.

By uniting a national hospital association with a leading EHR vendor, the collaborative sets a precedent for data‑driven quality initiatives across other high‑risk clinical domains. Hospitals that successfully reduce postpartum hemorrhage can expect lower readmission rates, shorter length of stay, and improved patient satisfaction scores, all of which influence value‑based reimbursement calculations. Moreover, the aggregated performance data generated during the program will feed back into Epic’s product roadmap, fostering continuous refinement of obstetric decision support tools. As more institutions join, the network effect could drive industry‑wide standards for maternal safety.