TY - JOUR
T1 - Expanding access to early medical abortion services in Ghana with telemedicine
T2 - findings from a pilot evaluation
AU - Adu, Joseph
AU - Roemer, Matthea
AU - Page, Georgina
AU - Dekonor, Elymas
AU - Akanlu, George
AU - Fofie, Chris
AU - Teye, Mary Dornukwor
AU - Afriyie, Patricia Opoku
AU - Affram, Adjeiwa Akosua
AU - Ohemeng, Fidelia
AU - Tabong, Philip Teg Nefaah
AU - Dwomoh, Duah
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 MSI Reproductive Choices. Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Abortion in Ghana is legally permissible under certain conditions. Updated in June 2021, the National Comprehensive Abortion Care Services Standards and Protocols included telemedicine as a recognised option for early medical abortion (EMA). Subsequently, Marie Stopes Ghana launched this pilot project to understand the feasibility and acceptability of providing EMA services through telemedicine. The pilot evaluation drew on two research protocols–a process evaluation and a qualitative study. The process evaluation focused on existing routine data sources and additional pilot-specific monitoring, while the qualitative protocol included in-depth interviews with a range of key stakeholders, including telemedicine and in-person patients, healthcare managers, and service providers. Telemedicine for EMA is feasible, acceptable, and has likely expanded access to safe abortion in Ghana. The MSIG telemedicine service package enabled 97% of patients to have a successful EMA at home. Thirty-six per cent of the total 878 patients during the pilot reported that they had no other option for accessing an abortion. Patients described telemedicine EMA services as a highly acceptable and appealing service option. Eighty-four per cent reported they would opt for the telemedicine service again and 83% reported they were very likely to recommend the service. There is potential for telemedicine to expand and improve access to critical SRH services. EMA via telemedicine can be delivered effectively in a low-resource setting. This pilot also showed how telemedicine provides access to patients who feel they do not have other safe service options, meeting specific patient needs in terms of discretion, convenience, and timing.
AB - Abortion in Ghana is legally permissible under certain conditions. Updated in June 2021, the National Comprehensive Abortion Care Services Standards and Protocols included telemedicine as a recognised option for early medical abortion (EMA). Subsequently, Marie Stopes Ghana launched this pilot project to understand the feasibility and acceptability of providing EMA services through telemedicine. The pilot evaluation drew on two research protocols–a process evaluation and a qualitative study. The process evaluation focused on existing routine data sources and additional pilot-specific monitoring, while the qualitative protocol included in-depth interviews with a range of key stakeholders, including telemedicine and in-person patients, healthcare managers, and service providers. Telemedicine for EMA is feasible, acceptable, and has likely expanded access to safe abortion in Ghana. The MSIG telemedicine service package enabled 97% of patients to have a successful EMA at home. Thirty-six per cent of the total 878 patients during the pilot reported that they had no other option for accessing an abortion. Patients described telemedicine EMA services as a highly acceptable and appealing service option. Eighty-four per cent reported they would opt for the telemedicine service again and 83% reported they were very likely to recommend the service. There is potential for telemedicine to expand and improve access to critical SRH services. EMA via telemedicine can be delivered effectively in a low-resource setting. This pilot also showed how telemedicine provides access to patients who feel they do not have other safe service options, meeting specific patient needs in terms of discretion, convenience, and timing.
KW - Ghana
KW - digital health
KW - early medical abortion
KW - family planning
KW - sexual and reproductive health
KW - telehealth
KW - telemedicine
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85171897051&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/26410397.2023.2250621
DO - 10.1080/26410397.2023.2250621
M3 - Article
C2 - 37728548
AN - SCOPUS:85171897051
SN - 0968-8080
VL - 31
JO - Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters
JF - Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters
IS - 4
M1 - 2250621
ER -