Implementation of a Patient-centered, Reproductive Planning Decision Support Tool (MyPath) Among Women With Substance Use Disorder in the Immediate Postpartum Period (IMPACT)

This is a study to determine the effect of a novel patient-centered, reproductive planning decision support tool developed by the research team called MyPath on postpartum contraceptive decision-making among women with SUDs.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Pregnancy Related; Contraception; Substance Use Disorders
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: MyPath Intervention; Behavioral: Usual care

Detailed Description

The reproductive health needs of women with substance use disorders (SUDs) are unmet. Over 80% of pregnancies among women with SUDs are unintended, compared to 45% of the general population, and over 20% of women with SUDs have had a short interpregnancy interval (i.e. ≤ 18 months after a previous birth). Adverse reproductive health outcomes are perpetuated by contraceptive decisions that are inconsistent with women's reproductive goals. In an evaluation of women in opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, only half of sexually active women not wanting to get pregnant used contraception, with condoms the most frequent method used. Pregnancy is a unique opportunity to address contraceptive needs due to increased healthcare access and expanded Medicaid eligibility, increased access to highly effective methods such as long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and enhanced motivation to avoid rapid, repeat pregnancy. Despite this, over 75% of women with OUD do not use postpartum contraception and less than 2% receive LARC.

Currently, there are no effective strategies to improve postpartum contraceptive decision-making for women with SUDs. As an initial step to address this gap, the investigators conducted an observational study of postpartum contraceptive choices among 194 women with OUD at our maternity hospital (Plan NOW). Per usual care, women were provided with information about all contraceptive options, consistent with "information-based" counseling, and access to all methods including immediate postpartum LARC. Several findings informed this proposal. First, women's postpartum contraceptive decisions were often inconsistent with their childbearing goals. Among women who did not want another child, 36% did not choose a highly effective method and 10% had a repeat pregnancy within one year. Second, women had limited contraceptive knowledge and frequent misconceptions about their fertility and vulnerability to pregnancy. Third, women's decisional autonomy regarding sex and contraception was often threatened due to ongoing illicit drug use and reproductive coercion by partners. Fourth, women who wanted another baby did not feel supported and often felt pressured to choose a highly effective method. Therefore, failure to frame contraceptive decisions within the larger reproductive health context of women with OUD was a major barrier to high quality decision-making.

The goal of this research is to help women with SUDs make informed decisions about their reproductive health that align with their preferences, values and reproductive goals. Our objective in this application is to determine the effect of a novel patient-centered, reproductive planning decision support tool developed by the research team called MyPath on postpartum contraceptive decision-making among women with SUDs. Designed to facilitate high-quality decisions regarding pregnancy and contraception, MyPath helps women a) review their thoughts about pregnancy and children, b) learn about fertility and preconception health and c) prioritize their preferences for various contraceptive method characteristics (e.g. effectiveness, side effects). As such, MyPath uses a patient-centered approach to help women frame their contraceptive decisions in the context of their goals and health and is a critical first step towards addressing reproductive health inequities among women with SUDs. Our overarching hypothesis is that patient-centered, reproductive planning decision support will facilitate high quality decision-making and thus improve postpartum contraceptive utilization and reproductive health outcomes among women with SUDs. To test this hypothesis, the investigators propose a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial, guided by the following aims:

Aim 1: Assess the effect of patient-centered, reproductive planning decision support (MyPath) on postpartum contraceptive utilization and reproductive health outcomes among women with SUDs

Aim 2: Determine if the relationship between MyPath and contraceptive utilization is mediated by decision quality. Decision quality will be measured using four patient-centered components of decision-making: knowledge, values concordance, decisional conflict and involvement. The investigators hypothesize that improvements in decision quality will mediate the relationship between MyPath and contraceptive utilization.

Aim 3: Identify barriers and facilitators to integrating MyPath into routine postpartum clinical care. The investigators will gather process evaluation data during the randomized controlled trial (RCT) and conduct qualitative interviews with key patient, provider and health system stakeholders to identify potential barriers and facilitators to future implementation in maternity settings and routine postpartum clinical care, if MyPath is found to be effective.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 400
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Elizabeth Krans, MD; Phone Number: (412) 641-3532; Email: kransee@upmc.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Samantha Mayo, BA; Phone Number: (412) 641-2248; Email: mayos@upmc.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
      • Recruiting
      • Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC
      • Contact: Ellen Stewart; Phone Number: (412) 641-4984; Email: stewartep@upmc.edu
      • Contact: Mayo Samantha, BA; Phone Number: (412) 641-2248; Email: mayos@upmc.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria

Prenatal Cohort:

• Be greater than or equal to 18 years of age.
• Be pregnant with an EGA of 22 to 37 weeks at enrollment.
• Plan to deliver at research site.
• Meet DSM-5 criteria for a SUD (i.e., opioid, stimulant or other use disorder) and/or have a diagnosis code for a substance use disorder in their medical record.

Postpartum Cohort:

• Be greater than or equal to 18 years of age.
• Be 0-9 days postpartum at enrollment.
• Have delivered at research site.
• Meet DSM-5 criteria for a SUD (i.e., opioid, stimulant or other use disorder) and/or have a diagnosis code for a substance use disorder in their medical record.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have had a fetal or neonatal death with their current pregnancy.
• Be currently in jail or prison as required by court of law. Persons on probation or in residential facilities do not need to be excluded.
• Have any other condition (social or medical) which, in the opinion of the Investigator, would make study participation unsafe, make study participation difficult, and/or complicate data interpretation.
• PPC ONLY: Documented tubal ligation or hysterectomy procedures at time of delivery hospitalization

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: MyPath Intervention; At the first visit participants randomized to this arm receive MyPath contraceptive decision tool.	Behavioral: MyPath Intervention; MyPath is a novel patient-centered, reproductive planning decision support tool developed by the research team used to facilitate postpartum contraceptive decision-making among women with SUDs. Designed to facilitate high-quality decisions regarding pregnancy and contraception, MyPath helps women a) review their thoughts about pregnancy and children, b) learn about fertility and preconception health and c) prioritize their preferences for various contraceptive method characteristics (e.g. effectiveness, side effects). As such, MyPath uses a patient-centered approach to help women frame their contraceptive decisions in the context of their goals and health and is a critical first step towards addressing reproductive health inequities among women with SUDs.
Active Comparator: Standard of Care; At the first visit participants randomized to this arm receive standard of care contraceptive counseling.	Behavioral: Usual care; Standard of Care

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Contraceptive method continuation	Contraceptive method continuation as measured at each postpartum follow-up assessment by participants use of the same contraceptive method as she did at the previous timepoint.	Delivery (Immediate Post-delivery Inpatient Visit) to 18 months post delivery
Continuous contraceptive use	Continuous contraceptive use as measured by participants continuously using any moderately (i.e., pill, patch, or ring, injection) or highly effective (i.e., long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC), tubal ligation) method at consecutive timepoints. Reasons for stopping or switching methods will also be obtained.	Delivery (Immediate Post-delivery Inpatient Visit) to 18 months post delivery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Interpregnancy interval	Time-to-next pregnancy as measured by time-to-event analyses.	Delivery (Immediate Post-delivery Inpatient Visit) to 18 months post delivery
Use of moderate or highly effective method	Use of moderate or highly effective method as measured by participants who select any moderately (i.e., pill, patch, or ring, injection) or highly effective (i.e., long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC), tubal ligation) method at any timepoint.	Delivery (Immediate Post-delivery Inpatient Visit) to 18 months post delivery
Unintended pregnancy	Rate of unintentional pregnancy as measured by number of women having a new pregnancy, evaluation of intendedness of that pregnancy with the 6-item London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy (LMUP).	Delivery (Immediate Post-delivery Inpatient Visit) to 18 months post delivery
Decisional Conflict	Decisional conflict as measured by the Decision Conflict Scale (DCS).	Enrollment (22 - 37 weeks pregnant) to 18 months post delivery
Values concordance	We will measure women's perceptions of the values concordance of their selected postpartum contraceptive method as measured by a two-item adapted Measure of the Alignment of Choices (MATCH)	Enrollment (22 - 37 weeks pregnant) to 18 months post delivery
Knowledge	Reproductive planning knowledge as measured by an 18-item reproductive planning knowledge scale adapted from validated contraceptive knowledge assessments.	Enrollment (22 - 37 weeks pregnant) to 18 months post delivery
Involvement	Involvement in decision making as measured by the Interpersonal Quality in Family Planning care (IQFP).	Enrollment (22 - 37 weeks pregnant) to 18 months post delivery

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh
• Collaborators: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Krans, MD, University of Pittsburgh

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 11, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 23, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 23, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): June 25, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 17, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 12, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY20110324; 1R01DA051674-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: The University of Pittsburgh study investigators will be responsible for publication of the results of this study. A publication plan according to the intellectual and scientific contribution of each member of the investigative team will be agreed upon prior to publication of study results.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No