Attitudes of US adults toward using telemedicine to prescribe medication abortion during COVID-19: A mixed methods study

Abstract

Objectives: We explored public opinion about using telemedicine to provide medication abortion during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We also investigated the associations between socio-demographic characteristics and support for using telemedicine in this context and explored factors that influenced respondents' attitudes on the topic. Study design: In a nationally representative, web-based survey of US adults ( n = 711), we asked openand closed-ended questions about using telemedicine to prescribe medication abortion during COVID-19. We used multinomial logistic regression to assess the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics, endorsement of abortion labels, and political affiliation and support for telemedicine in this circumstance. Then, we conducted content and thematic analyses with the open-ended data to explore what influenced respondents' opinions. Results: Overall, 332 (44%) of respondents supported using telemedicine for medication abortion during the pandemic; 237 (35%) opposed and 138 (21%) were unsure. Respondents who identified as prochoice were more likely to support using telemedicine for abortion during the pandemic than those who identified as prolife were to oppose it in this context (RRR 2.95; 95% CI 1.31-6.64). Via our content and thematic analysis, we identified that concerns about safety, the legitimacy of telemedicine, and the belief that abortion should occur as early in the pregnancy as possible influenced respondents' beliefs about using telemedicine for medication abortion. Conclusions: More respondents supported using telemedicine for medication abortion during COVID-19 than opposed it. Among respondents who expressed support, most thought that medication abortion was safe and that telemedicine was equivalent to the in-person provision of care. Implications: There appears to be support among US adults for the provision of medication abortion via telemedicine during COVID-19. Policymakers may consider public sentiment as well as clinical evidence when considering legislation about abortion.

Assessing rigid modes of thinking in self-declared abortion ideology: natural language processing insights from an online pilot qualitative study on abortion attitudes

“…Yet, those who do not strongly associate with theoretically extreme positions on abortion may be weighing a multitude of conflicting patterns that drive the complexity of their belief systems. These findings also support a growing body of work that argues that the complexity of abortion, as a medical procedure, transcends belief systems beyond the pro-choice/pro-life dichotomy [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 30 ].…”

Abortion services during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review

“…One hundred fifty-one records were identified through the database and reference lists of articles. After removing duplicated records, 112 records remained; finally, 25 fulltext articles were assessed for eligibility and seventeen articles have been included: Cross-sectional [17-19, 32, 33], prospective [20,23,34], retrospective [23,24] cohort, qualitative [20,25], mixed-method [21,22], descriptive [26][27][28][29][30] studies and a newspaper [29]. Included studies have been conducted in USA, France, Belgium, UK, Scotland, Mexico, Columbia, Nepal, and eight European countries, as showed in Table 1.…”

Frequency and Correlates of Online Consultations With Doctors or Therapists in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Nationally Representative Cross-sectional Study

“…For example, 46.1% of GP services were provided using such consultations (video and telephone) in Australia in early May 2020 [25]. Moreover, 44% of respondents supported using online consultations for medication abortion among adults in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic [26]. In general, the quite high proportion of individuals using online consultations with doctors or therapists (compared with the time prior to the pandemic in Germany) found in our study is in accordance with recently conducted research covering the adult population in Germany during the pandemic [27].…”