A new study from Ibis Reproductive Health and ANSIRH titled, “Telemedicine provision of medical abortion in Alaska: Through the provider’s lens,” released in the Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, found that telemedicine provision of medication abortion in Alaska facilitated a more patient-centered approach to care, allowing women to access services earlier in pregnancy, have greater choice in abortion procedure type, and to be seen closer to home.
We evaluated providers’ experiences with offering medication abortion via telemedicine, which involves using information and communication technology, such as a secure video chat, to provide health care at a distance. The research found that the introduction of telemedicine resulted in women having greater choice in type of abortion procedure. Prior to the introduction of telemedicine services, a physician in Alaska might only visit certain facilities one or two times per month, meaning that women could have to wait weeks for an appointment. This wait time could put women outside of the gestational age eligibility window for a medication abortion. Many participants felt that prior to telemedicine, women did not always have a ‘real’ choice because of the time-sensitive nature of medication abortion.
Though study participants largely said they did not see an impact on the numbers of abortions provided, they reported that women were able to receive abortion care earlier in pregnancy and that the proportion of medication abortion increased, reflecting the improvement in patient options. Read more about the article on the publisher’s website.