Department
Social Work
Location
Bethel University
Document Type
Event
Start Date
10-25-2023
End Date
10-25-2023
Abstract
In the United States, 24.4% or approximately 1 million pregnant individuals, do not receive early or sufficient prenatal care each year. Due to its widespread adoption during the pandemic, understanding how it was implemented and insights from user experiences can inform the utilization of telemedicine as a potential long-term strategy to improve access to prenatal care. For this national, convergent mixed methods study, researchers surveyed 196 perinatal providers and 749 pregnant patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated mild to moderate satisfaction across six telehealth usability domains. While the majority of participants reported they did not use blood pressure cuffs and fetal Dopplers during virtual visits, many believed this would increase their confidence in utilizing telemedicine beyond the pandemic. Further exploration on the inclusion of physical exam components, visit frequency, and safety is warranted.
Recommended Citation
Wu, Katrina, "Telemedicine for Prenatal Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2023). Day of Scholarship. 18.
https://spark.bethel.edu/dayofscholarship/fall2023/oct25/18
Included in
Telemedicine for Prenatal Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Bethel University
In the United States, 24.4% or approximately 1 million pregnant individuals, do not receive early or sufficient prenatal care each year. Due to its widespread adoption during the pandemic, understanding how it was implemented and insights from user experiences can inform the utilization of telemedicine as a potential long-term strategy to improve access to prenatal care. For this national, convergent mixed methods study, researchers surveyed 196 perinatal providers and 749 pregnant patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated mild to moderate satisfaction across six telehealth usability domains. While the majority of participants reported they did not use blood pressure cuffs and fetal Dopplers during virtual visits, many believed this would increase their confidence in utilizing telemedicine beyond the pandemic. Further exploration on the inclusion of physical exam components, visit frequency, and safety is warranted.