Effectiveness and safety of a direct-to-patient telehealth service providing medication abortion targeted at rural and remote populations: Cross-sectional findings from Marie Stopes Australia

Abstract

Objectives: We assessed the safety and effectiveness of direct-to-patient telehealth provision of medication abortion in Australia.

Study design: We included all medication abortions (January 2017-December 2018) from Marie Stopes Australia's patient management and adverse event reporting systems. We defined effectiveness as whether the patient had a continuing pregnancy, incomplete abortion, and/or subsequent vacuum aspiration or procedural abortion and safety as whether the patient experienced any adverse event.

Results: Direct-to-patient telehealth was more effective than in-clinic provision (97.2% vs 95.4%). The proportion of adverse events did not differ between groups.

Conclusions: This direct-to-patient telehealth service is safe and effective.

Keywords: Effectiveness; Medication abortion; Safety; Telehealth; Telemedicine.