Expanding access to early medical abortion services in Ghana with telemedicine: findings from a pilot evaluation
AbstractAbortion 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 pil...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26410397.2023.2250621 |
| _version_ | 1797679812221861888 |
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| author | Joseph Adu Matthea Roemer Georgina Page Elymas Dekonor George Akanlu Chris Fofie Mary Dornukwor Teye Patricia Opoku Afriyie Adjeiwa Akosua Affram Fidelia Ohemeng Philip Teg-Nefaah Tabong Duah Dwomoh |
| author_facet | Joseph Adu Matthea Roemer Georgina Page Elymas Dekonor George Akanlu Chris Fofie Mary Dornukwor Teye Patricia Opoku Afriyie Adjeiwa Akosua Affram Fidelia Ohemeng Philip Teg-Nefaah Tabong Duah Dwomoh |
| author_sort | Joseph Adu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AbstractAbortion 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:20:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3662a2854bb342fcb69ed3303ccbd95b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2641-0397 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:20:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters |
| spelling | doaj.art-3662a2854bb342fcb69ed3303ccbd95b2023-09-20T14:15:12ZengTaylor & Francis GroupSexual and Reproductive Health Matters2641-03972023-12-0131410.1080/26410397.2023.2250621Expanding access to early medical abortion services in Ghana with telemedicine: findings from a pilot evaluationJoseph Adu0Matthea Roemer1Georgina Page2Elymas Dekonor3George Akanlu4Chris Fofie5Mary Dornukwor Teye6Patricia Opoku Afriyie7Adjeiwa Akosua Affram8Fidelia Ohemeng9Philip Teg-Nefaah Tabong10Duah Dwomoh11Director of Medical Services, MSI Reproductive Choices, Ghana.Innovation, Evidence and Research Manager, MSI Reproductive Choices, Accra, GhanaHead of SBC and Inclusion, MSI Reproductive Choices, Accra, GhanaHead of Marketing, MSI Reproductive Choices, Accra, GhanaCountry Director, MSI Reproductive Choices, Accra, GhanaDeputy Director, Reproductive and Child Health, Ghana Health Services, Accra, GhanaClinical Quality Advisor, MSI Reproductive Choices, Accra, GhanaMonitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Manager, MSI Reproductive Choices, GhanaPhD Candidate, Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaSenior Lecturer, Department of Sociology, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaLecturer, Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaDirector, D&D Statistical Consulting Services Limited, Accra, GhanaAbstractAbortion 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.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26410397.2023.2250621early medical abortionsexual and reproductive healthfamily planningtelemedicinetelehealthdigital health |
| spellingShingle | Joseph Adu Matthea Roemer Georgina Page Elymas Dekonor George Akanlu Chris Fofie Mary Dornukwor Teye Patricia Opoku Afriyie Adjeiwa Akosua Affram Fidelia Ohemeng Philip Teg-Nefaah Tabong Duah Dwomoh Expanding access to early medical abortion services in Ghana with telemedicine: findings from a pilot evaluation Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters early medical abortion sexual and reproductive health family planning telemedicine telehealth digital health |
| title | Expanding access to early medical abortion services in Ghana with telemedicine: findings from a pilot evaluation |
| title_full | Expanding access to early medical abortion services in Ghana with telemedicine: findings from a pilot evaluation |
| title_fullStr | Expanding access to early medical abortion services in Ghana with telemedicine: findings from a pilot evaluation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Expanding access to early medical abortion services in Ghana with telemedicine: findings from a pilot evaluation |
| title_short | Expanding access to early medical abortion services in Ghana with telemedicine: findings from a pilot evaluation |
| title_sort | expanding access to early medical abortion services in ghana with telemedicine findings from a pilot evaluation |
| topic | early medical abortion sexual and reproductive health family planning telemedicine telehealth digital health |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26410397.2023.2250621 |
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