Application of Telehealth in Prenatal Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Cross-Sectional Survey of Polish Women
Open Access
- 10 June 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in Journal of Clinical Medicine
- Vol. 10 (12), 2570
- https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10122570
Abstract
To reduce the risk of infection of SARS-CoV-2 during commuting to the clinic or due to contact with medical staff, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recommended arranging some appointments in the form of “telehealth”. The aim of the study was to assess the access to medical care in pregnancy during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the role of telehealth in the implementation of prenatal care standards. This is a cross-sectional study. The study group included 618 women who were pregnant and/or gave birth in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of the participants experienced difficulties accessing medical care because of the pandemic. The correlation between this experience and the use of the hybrid healthcare model was established. The affiliation to public or private healthcare was irrelevant. There was no relationship between healthcare (private/public or in-person/hybrid) and implementation of the prenatal care standards. To ensure safe access to prenatal care for pregnant women, recommendations for a hybrid pregnancy management model should be created with detailed information regarding which appointments patients must be present for in-person and which can be conducted remotely. To reduce the risks associated with movement and interpersonal contact, all visits during which tests and screenings take place should be conducted in-person; other appointments can be arranged in the form of telehealth.Funding Information
- The APC was funded by the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin (No number)
This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effectiveness of telemedicine for pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: an updated meta-analysis of 32 randomized controlled trials with trial sequential analysisBMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2020
- Possible Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a Public Bath Center in Huai’an, Jiangsu Province, ChinaJAMA Network Open, 2020
- Implementing Telehealth in PracticeObstetrics & Gynecology, 2020
- The REDCap consortium: Building an international community of software platform partnersJournal of Biomedical Informatics, 2019
- Telemedicine consultations in obstetrics and gynecology — a population based study in Polishspeaking womenGinekologia Polska, 2018
- Telemedicine Technologies for Diabetes in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisJournal of Medical Internet Research, 2016
- Telehealth services in rural and remote Australia: a systematic review of models of care and factors influencing success and sustainability2016
- Research electronic data capture (REDCap)—A metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics supportJournal of Biomedical Informatics, 2008
- The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studiesJournal of Clinical Epidemiology, 2008
- Improving the Quality of Web Surveys: The Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES)Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2004