Alex Peahl, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, discusses her studies assessing various aspects of postpartum pain management, with the goal of understanding and reducing the risks of opioid prescribing during and after pregnancy. Dr. Peahl is the chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Redesigning Prenatal Care Initiative and the co-director of the Partnering for the Future clinic at the U-M Health Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, specifically designed for patients with opioid use disorder, substance use disorder, and chronic pain with long-term opioid use. She is the lead for the new national Creating Optimal Pain Management for Tailoring Interventions after Childbirth (COMFORT) guidelines for peripartum pain management.
Peahl’s research focuses on improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of reproductive health care by developing, studying, and disseminating high-quality maternity care interventions. A nationally recognized prenatal care redesign expert, Peahl has completed seminal studies and thought pieces on how to best incorporate patients’ preferences and needs into prenatal care plans.