OPTIMUM: Optimising titration and monitoring of maternal blood pressure
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN16018898 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN16018898 |
| Protocol serial number | 20090 |
| Sponsor | University of Oxford Clinical Trials and Research Governance Team |
| Funder | National Institute for Health Research |
- Submission date
- 04/07/2016
- Registration date
- 04/07/2016
- Last edited
- 18/08/2023
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Pregnancy and Childbirth
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Pre-eclampsia is a condition which affects pregnant women, and can put both mother and baby at risk. The warning signs of pre-eclampsia include high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Around 10-15% of women develop high blood pressure during pregnancy. If not treated, pre-eclampsia can lead to seizures, kidney and blood clotting problems in the mother. For babies, it can lead to low birth weight and an increased risk of dying before birth. Treatment is usually in the form of blood pressure lowering drugs. Up to 10% of women have existing chronic hypertension (long-term high blood pressure) or develop hypertension (gestational hypertension) in pregnancy. This puts them at a higher risk of developing pre-eclampsia than those without chronic high blood pressure. Because of this, their blood pressure needs to be closely monitored and managed via more frequent antenatal clinic visits. Despite more frequent monitoring however, women's blood pressure can rise between these visits, putting mother and baby at risk. One possible solution to this problem is for the women to keep track of their blood pressure at home (self-monitoring). This could help to identify rising blood pressure sooner, so that it can be brought to the attention of their care team. This could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment to prevent complications developing. Care teams would be able to use the more frequent blood pressure readings to make better and timelier treatment decisions. For example, by raising or lowering blood pressure medication as needed. This could lead to improved health outcomes for mothers and their babies, and may prove to be a cost-effective way to improve their care. The aim of this study is to conduct a small study looking at whether it is acceptable to pregnant women with high blood pressure to monitor their blood pressure at home, and to work out whether it is feasible to conduct a larger scale study.
Who can participate?
Pregnant women with high blood pressure during pregnancy (either long-term or due to pregnancy).
What does the study involve?
Participants are randomly allocated to one of two groups. Those in the first group receive standard care alone, which involves attending antenatal clinic visits to have their blood pressure measured. Those in the second group also receive standard care as well as monitoring their blood pressure at home. The women are taught how to use a home blood pressure monitor and asked to measure it every day and record the results in a diary and/or send results via text of the study App. They are also given advice about any action they should take if their blood pressure becomes too high or too low. Participants in both groups attend routine clinical visits at 20, 28, and 34 weeks pregnancy, and 6 weeks after they have had their baby. At these visits, blood pressure measurements are taken and questionnaires about quality of life and medication use are completed. Women who have been monitoring their blood pressure also provide their self-monitoring results at these visits.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are no direct benefits to participants taking part in this study, although the study will provide information about how blood pressure self-monitoring could help improve the health of women with high blood pressure in pregnancy. This could lead to fewer complications during pregnancy, protecting the health of both mother and baby. All women in the study will receive at least usual care, so there is no risk from missing out on any standard clinical care. No direct risks for those women self-monitoring blood pressure at home are expected as measuring blood pressure is a safe procedure. Women will be counselled how to correctly measure their blood pressure using the provided monitors and when and how to contact clinical teams if they have low or high blood pressure readings. It is possible that blood pressure self-monitoring may increase anxiety in participants but previous work by the study team in the pregnant population has found this to be very uncommon.
Where is the study run from?
1. The Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital (UK)
2. St Thomas' Hospital Maternity Services (UK)
3. New Cross Hospital Maternity Services (UK)
4. King’s College Hospital (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
April 2015 to October 2018
Who is funding the study?
National Institute for Health Research (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Louise Pealing
louise.pealing@phc.ox.ac.uk
Contact information
Scientific
Nuffield Department of Primary Care
University of Oxford
Radcliffe Primary Care Building
Radcliffe Observatory Quarter
Woodstock Road
Oxford
OX2 6GG
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0001-5506-3592 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 1865 617852 |
| louise.pealing@phc.ox.ac.uk |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Randomized; Interventional; Design type: Diagnosis, Complex Intervention, Management of Care, Active Monitoring |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Blood pressure selfmonitoring for the management of women during pregnancy with chronic hypertension: a feasibility study |
| Study acronym | OPTIMUM |
| Study objectives | The aim of this study is to: 1. Assess the feasibility and acceptability of pregnant women with chronic hypertension monitoring their own blood pressure 2. Identify the most appropriate ‘outcome measures’ for blood pressure control to use in a larger trial |
| Ethics approval(s) | East Midlands – Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee, 28/10/2015, ref: 15/EM/0490 Substantial Amendment 1: REC approval: 27/09/2016, HRA approval: 06/10/2016 Substantial Amendment 2: REC approval: 20/12/2016, HRA approval: 20/12/2016 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Specialty: Reproductive health and childbirth, Primary sub-specialty: Reproductive health and childbirth (migration) |
| Intervention | Pregnant women with chronic hypertension will be randomised 2:1 intervention to usual care using a secure web-based system, with allocation stratified for study site. Control group: Participants receive usual antinatal care alone. Intervention group: Participants receive usual antenatal care and blood pressure self-monitoring at home in the management of chronic hypertension during pregnancy. This involves women being asked to measure their own blood pressure once per day at the same time each day, taking two readings, using an automated blood pressure machine (microlife WatchBP home) validated for use in pregnancy and pre-eclampsia. They will be asked to measure their own blood pressure from time of enrolment until delivery. If women are admitted to hospital during their pregnancy they are asked to continue to monitor their own blood pressure if they are able and this is acceptable to them. Women will be asked to record these blood pressure readings in a diary and bring them to their antenatal consultations so that their clinical team can use them in making treatment decisions. Women will be given a protocol to follow advising how and when to contact for clinical advice in the event of recording any high or low blood pressure readings. Participants in both groups attend antenatal visits at 20, 28 and 34 weeks gestation and 6 weeks postnatal for blood pressure monitoring and completion of questionnaires. Added 16/06/2017: In addition women with gestational hypertension will be asked to text or use a study App to submit their home blood pressure readings to the research team, but also retain the option of continuing to use the blood pressure diary to record these readings. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
1. Recruitment rate is determined at the end of the study period by recording the number of participants recruited per site per month, including as proportion of those who were approached and eligible |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
1. Blood pressure control measured using: |
| Completion date | 31/10/2018 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | Female |
| Target sample size at registration | 160 |
| Total final enrolment | 158 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Women with chronic hypertension (defined as sustained diastolic BP≥90 mmHg and/or systolic BP≥140 mmHg, present at booking or before 20 weeks gestation, or receiving treatment outside pregnancy and/or at time of referral) 2. Recruited at booking 23+6 weeks gestation 3. Viable singleton pregnancy 4. Willing to be randomised 5. Able to give informed written consent 6. Aged 18 years and over |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Unwilling to selfmonitor 2. Insufficient understanding of the study 3. Confirmed superimposed preeclampsia (as defined by the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy (ISSHP) 2014 statement) before recruitment |
| Date of first enrolment | 09/12/2015 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/10/2017 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
Study participating centres
Headington
Oxford
OX3 9DU
United Kingdom
London
SE1 7EH
United Kingdom
Wolverhampton
WV10 0QP
United Kingdom
London
SE5 9RS
United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | results | 01/10/2019 | 16/10/2019 | Yes | No |
| HRA research summary | 28/06/2023 | No | No | ||
| Other publications | Secondary analysis | 28/05/2021 | 18/08/2023 | Yes | No |
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
18/08/2023: Publication reference added.
16/10/2019: Publication reference added.
20/06/2019: The total final enrolment was added.
16/06/2017: In February 2017 the study protocol was amended and extended to include recruitment of women with gestational hypertension (women who develop high blood pressure during their pregnancy) who are also at increased risk of developing pre-eclampsia and so might also benefit from a self-monitoring blood pressure intervention. In addition, the trial materials were adjusted to better describe the telemonitoring aspects (prior to any women with gestational hypertension being recruited).
In light of this, the following changes have been made to the record:
1. The self-monitoring intervention has adapted to include telemonitoring for women with gestational hypertension as an alternative to a paper diary, which is reflected in the interventions section
2. The sample size has been increased to 160 from 60
3. The recruitment end date has been updated from 31/12/2016 to 31/10/2017
4. King’s College Hospital has been added to the list of participating sites
5. In addition, the secondary outcome measures have been added to the record.
