Available online 28 July 2022

Many maternity units in England commenced a self-monitoring of BP service early in the first phases of the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020, which were predominantly used to provide additional BP monitoring for hypertensive or high-risk pregnant women.

Overall maternity units and women were positive about the use of self-monitoring, although there were challenges in setting up services rapidly, embedding self-monitoring into care pathways, and managing the provision of monitors.

This work provides a timely insight into the rapid implementation of self-monitoring of blood pressure in pregnancy in England since March 2020.

To evaluate how English maternity units implemented self-monitoring of blood pressure (SMBP) in pregnancy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

Mixed methods including surveys, anonymised patient data and in-depth interviews with women.

Setting

Maternity units across England.

Participants

45 maternity units completed a survey about the implementation of SMBP (supported by the provision of guidance and blood pressure monitors) during the pandemic, 166 women completed a survey about their experiences of SMBP, and 23 women took part in in-depth interviews. Clinical data from 627 women undertaking SMBP were available from 13 maternity units.

SMBP was predominantly used to provide additional BP monitoring for hypertensive or high-risk pregnant women. Overall maternity units and women were positive about its use in terms of reducing the need for additional face-to-face contacts and giving women more control and insight into their own BP. However, there were challenges in setting up SMBP services rapidly and embedding them within existing care pathways, particularly around interpreting readings and managing the provision of monitors.

A considerable proportion of maternity units in England commenced a SMBP service for hypertensive or high-risk women from March 2020. There is a need for further research into appropriate care pathways, including guidance around white coat or masked hypertension and the use of SMBP postnatally.

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy.