Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States.
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States.
Contraception. 2021 Sep;104(3):254-261. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2021.04.006. Epub 2021 Apr 20.
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, many clinicians increased provision of telemedicine services. This study describes patient experiences with telemedicine for contraceptive counseling during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.
This is a mixed-methods study which includes a web-based or phone survey and in-depth phone interviews with patients who had telemedicine visits for contraception.
A total of 169 patients had eligible telemedicine visits between April 1 and June 30, 2020. Of these, 86 (51%) responded to the survey, and 23 (14%) participated in the interviews. We found that 86% of survey respondents were very satisfied with the telemedicine visit, and 63% said it completely met their needs. A majority (73%) strongly agreed that these visits should be maintained after the COVID-19 pandemic, and half (51%) would be very likely to choose them over in-person visits. In-depth interviews highlighted the convenience of telemedicine, especially for those with work or parenting responsibilities. Although some patients had in-person visits after telehealth, many appreciated the counseling they received remotely, and found the subsequent in-person visits more efficient. Patients identified visits that do not require physical exams as ideal visits for telehealth, and some hoped that all or most of their future visits would be telehealth visits. Many patients (43%) expressed a preference for phone over video visits.
Patients reported an overall positive experience with telemedicine visits for contraceptive counseling during the COVID-19 pandemic. They appreciated the convenience of telemedicine visits and valued the virtual counseling experience.
Health care providers who initiated or expanded telemedicine services for contraceptive counseling during the COVID-19 pandemic should consider continuing to offer them after the pandemic. At the policy level, these findings favor expanding access to telemedicine and providing reimbursement for virtual visits, including telephone visits.
在 COVID-19 大流行期间，许多临床医生增加了远程医疗服务的提供。本研究描述了在纽约市 COVID-19 大流行期间，患者对远程避孕咨询服务的体验。
这是一项混合方法研究，包括对在 2020 年 4 月 1 日至 6 月 30 日期间进行远程医疗避孕咨询的患者进行基于网络或电话的调查和深入的电话访谈。
共有 169 名患者进行了合格的远程医疗访问。其中，86 名（51%）对调查做出了回应，23 名（14%）参与了访谈。我们发现，86%的调查受访者对远程医疗访问非常满意，63%的受访者表示其完全满足了他们的需求。大多数（73%）强烈认为这些访问应该在 COVID-19 大流行后继续进行，并且有一半（51%）的人非常愿意选择远程医疗访问而非面对面访问。深入访谈突出了远程医疗的便利性，尤其是对那些有工作或育儿责任的人。尽管一些患者在远程医疗后进行了面对面访问，但许多人赞赏他们远程获得的咨询，并发现随后的面对面访问更有效率。患者将不需要体检的访问视为远程医疗的理想访问，一些人希望他们未来的所有或大部分访问都是远程医疗访问。许多患者（43%）表示更喜欢电话访问而非视频访问。
患者报告称，在 COVID-19 大流行期间，他们对远程避孕咨询服务的整体体验是积极的。他们赞赏远程医疗访问的便利性，并重视虚拟咨询体验。
在 COVID-19 大流行期间为避孕咨询服务启动或扩大远程医疗服务的医疗保健提供者应该考虑在大流行后继续提供这些服务。在政策层面，这些发现支持扩大远程医疗的获得并为虚拟访问（包括电话访问）提供报销。
