BACKGROUND Telehealth is healthcare delivery using telecommunication methods, including audio and virtual calls. In Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth was utilized in obstetrical care, and many pregnant women had virtual meetings with their healthcare providers (HCP) and monitored their vital signs at home. As the health care system is recovering from the pandemic, it is important to understand the overall experiences of patients who use telehealth services.
OBJECTIVE The objective of this qualitative study was to examine the experience of women who used telemedicine for pregnancy care in Ontario.
METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 women who used telehealth for their pregnancy or postpartum care within the last four years. Women were asked about benefits and challenges of using telemedicine and offered suggestions for improvement of telehealth services. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was applied to inductively generate key themes from the data.
RESULTS Findings suggest that while telemedicine is convenient for seeking medical advice and receiving responses to general questions as well as for removing geographic barriers, it may feel less personal. Some participants also indicated a lack of rapport with their health care providers and felt like they needed to “be their own doctors” when using telehealth. Using mobile applications to schedule meetings, message physicians, and review doctors’ notes after appointments was reported as a benefit of telehealth care, which also improved access to care for participants. These findings suggest that telehealth may offer benefits for some patients and can be used alongside in-person appointments.
CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, there are numerous benefits and disadvantages of using telehealth, however there is room for further implementation of telehealth in the obstetrics field.