Patient Empowerment

There is limited research on the optimal strategy to reduce obstetric laceration, postpartum urinary retention, and postpartum pelvic pain. In systematic reviews, clinician-directed massage of the perineal muscles at the time of birth and patient directed massage of the perineal muscles in the third trimester to inconsistently reduce the incidence of severe obstetric laceration.1,2 However, there is significant heterogeneity of these studies is due in large part to the lack of a standardized protocols and unpredictability of clinician availability to perform perineal massage around the time of birth. The purpose of this study is to understand how perineal massage with a pelvic wand in late pregnancy and during labor influences one's sense of self-control over the labor process and birth experience.

A randomized controlled clinical trial will be conducted, involving a psychoeducational activity as the intervention. There will be a control group of patients with non-cancer chronic pain who will continue their usual treatment. The trial will end after 3 months. Pain, well-being, medication management, mood, self-esteem, and quality of life will be compared just before starting the workshop with the status at the end of the workshop (one month later) to assess the immediate effect, and three months later to evaluate the medium-term effect. These measurements will be taken in both the control and intervention groups. Additionally, for the intervention group, a follow-up will be conducted six months after the workshop ends to assess the long-term effect duration. This study does not allow blinding of patients or professionals conducting the intervention, but the person analyzing the data to compare the effect produced in the control and intervention groups will be blinded. Therefore, it is an observer-blind evaluation.

UPRIGHT-HTM will compare risk stratification, treatment efficiency and health economic outcomes of a diagnostic approach based on home blood pressure telemonitoring combined with urinary proteomic profiling with home blood pressure telemonitoring alone