Faculty in the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology are leaders in clinical and laboratory research in many different areas of the field. Researchers in this division perform studies that include genetics and pharmacology, personalized medicine in pregnancy, prevention and treatment of gestational diabetes, prevention of pre-term birth, reversible contraceptive methods, patient-physician communication and shared decision-making and health care delivery. Faculty have won many awards and published numerous studies related to OB-GYN care.
Clinical Trials
OB-GYN faculty are actively involved in several clinical trials related to obstetrics and gynecology health care.
Active Research from the Division
PATH4YOU (Pregnancy At a Time that’s Healthy and Happy for You) was created as a statewide comprehensive contraceptive access program that ensures patient-centered counseling and same-day access to no-cost contraception are delivered to women across the state. This project aims to partner with community stakeholders to tailor and implement a patient-centered, comprehensive contraceptive access intervention, the PATH4YOU Bundle.
The health center-level intervention will consist of three key principles:
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Pregnancy Intention Screening: Provide training for health care providers and assist in health center implementation of a patient-centered pregnancy intention screening strategy within clinical settings
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Contraception and Reproductive Health Counseling: Implement a pre-visit patient-centered decision-aid for all patients presenting to a health center for reproductive health care.
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Same-Day Access to Contraception: Provide training for health care providers and logistical assistance to health centers to implement care consistent with providing patients with their chosen method of contraception on the day of patient contact.
We seek to study the effects of this intervention on important public health, clinic-level and individual outcomes to better understand how a state-wide, comprehensive reproductive health intervention can be implemented to improve public health outcomes while supporting high-quality care and individual choice. We hypothesize that implementing these three principles will reduce infant and maternal mortality and morbidity, improve patient satisfaction, and positively impact partnering clinic contraceptive use and access.
Principal Investigator: Tracey A. Wilkinson, MD, MPH
Co-PIs: Caitlin Bernard, MD; Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds, MD, MPHS, MS
Coordinator: Kathleen Wendholt, MPA, CCRP
This is a multi-site, randomized controlled trial testing the Periviable GOALS (Getting Optimal Alignment around Life Support) decision support tool (DST) versus usual care among pregnant people and their important others who are hospitalized for a potential periviable delivery (delivery between 22- and 25-weeks’ gestation). We will evaluate the effect of the Periviable GOALS DST on decision quality, postpartum mental health, and neonatal treatment preference. This clinical trial is funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Recruitment is taking place both in-person at Indiana University and The University of California, San Francisco and virtually at several institutions throughout the country.
Principal investigator: Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds, MD, MPH, MS
Coordinator: Shelley Hoffman, MPH