An exploratory study comparing the quality of contraceptive counseling provided via telemedicine versus in-person visits.

OBJECTIVE

Telemedicine for contraceptive services is purported to improve contraceptive access, yet few studies assess the quality of contraceptive counseling provided remotely. We assessed the quality of contraceptive counseling during telemedicine and office visits.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a cross-sectional study at Cleveland Clinic Women's Health Institute to compare contraceptive counseling quality between telemedicine (synchronous video) and office visits. We identified eligible patients through ambulatory encounters with primary contraceptive management or counseling ICD-10 codes. Respondents completed a survey assessing demographics, quality of contraceptive counseling, contraceptive method choice, an affinity for technology, and attitudes toward telemedicine. We used the validated Interpersonal Quality of Family Planning (IQFP) scale to assess counseling quality. We used the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Pearson's chi-square test and Fisher's exact test to compare baseline characteristics.

RESULTS

Of all eligible patients, 110 of 380 (29%) completed the survey. Of those who were successfully contacted by phone or mail, 110 of 201 (55%) completed the survey. The IQFP scores were 'high quality' for 28 of 52 (54%) of telemedicine-visit respondents vs 37 of 58 (64%) of office-visit respondents (p = 0.29). The birth control pill was the most popular method, chosen by 27 of 52 (52%) of telemedicine-visit respondents and 24 of 58 (41%) of office-visit respondents (p = 0.27). Telemedicine respondents identified ease of communication and less scheduling difficulty as factors that promote telemedicine use. Office-visit respondents identified privacy and communication concerns as factors that deter telemedicine use.

CONCLUSION

When patients self-select the encounter type, their assessment of the quality of contraceptive counseling among telemedicine and office visits is similar, with no statistically significant differences in the contraceptive method chosen. Results from this single-center study support the integration of telemedicine in contraceptive service provision.

IMPLICATIONS

The quality of contraceptive counseling is similar among telemedicine and office visits. Telemedicine visits for contraceptive counseling should be routinely offered, and existing services should be expanded.