Muheriwa-Matemba Sadandaula Rose, Alcena-Stiner Danielle C, Glazier Alexander, LeBlanc Natalie M
Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
School of Nursing, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America.
PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024 Dec 23;4(12):e0003259. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003259. eCollection 2024.
Telehealth emerged as a key option for the provision of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care and promotion during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. However, there is limited research on the perspectives and experiences of healthcare providers (HCPs) in the Western-Central region of New York State. This qualitative interpretive study explored the perspectives and experiences of the HCPs' with telehealth for SRH promotion and care including counselling, testing and treatment for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), in Western New York State. Ten HCPs participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted between October 2019 and February 2021. Participants were predominately White, female, with 1-30 years of clinical experience. The narratives revealed three major themes: 1) HCPs' perspectives of telehealth use, 2) HCPs' experiences with telehealth use for SRH promotion and care, and 3) determinants of telehealth implementation. Though all providers reported an increase in the use of telehealth, experiences in the delivery of telehealth varied especially for SRH services. Some providers reported having more time to consult with patients because patients could just call and schedule a telehealth visit and because of a decrease in patient load which freed up time to engage with patients. Others reported technological limitations among some patients which impacted care. Strengthening telehealth-based sexual health promotion will serve to address efforts toward ending the HIV epidemic, reducing other STIs, and ensuring consistent access to contraception. To effectively implement telehealth findings, suggest a need to ensure adequate technological resources for patients, and a need to increase HCPs' comfort to engage patients in sexual health conversations via telehealth.
在新冠疫情限制期间，远程医疗成为提供性与生殖健康（SRH）护理及推广服务的关键选择。然而，关于纽约州中西部地区医疗服务提供者（HCPs）的观点和经历的研究有限。这项定性解释性研究探讨了纽约州西部HCPs在通过远程医疗促进和护理SRH方面的观点和经历，包括针对艾滋病毒感染和其他性传播感染（STIs）的咨询、检测和治疗。10名HCPs参与了2019年10月至2021年2月期间进行的半结构化深度访谈。参与者主要是白人女性，有1至30年的临床经验。访谈结果揭示了三个主要主题：1）HCPs对远程医疗使用的看法；2）HCPs在通过远程医疗促进和护理SRH方面的经历；3）远程医疗实施的决定因素。尽管所有提供者都报告说远程医疗的使用有所增加，但远程医疗服务的提供体验各不相同，尤其是在SRH服务方面。一些提供者报告说有更多时间与患者咨询，因为患者可以直接打电话预约远程医疗就诊，而且患者数量减少，从而有更多时间与患者交流。另一些提供者则报告说一些患者存在技术限制，影响了护理。加强基于远程医疗的性健康促进将有助于实现终结艾滋病毒流行、减少其他性传播感染以及确保持续获得避孕服务的目标。为了有效实施远程医疗的研究结果，建议需要确保为患者提供足够的技术资源，并且需要提高HCPs通过远程医疗与患者进行性健康对话的舒适度。
