Telehealth for contraceptive care: Lessons from staff and clinicians for improving implementation and sustainability in Illinois

Objective

To solicit Illinois staff and clinician perspectives on rapid implementation of telehealth for contraceptive counseling and recommendations to improve and sustain it in the long term.

Study design

Researchers recruited and interviewed clinicians (n = 20) in primary care and obstetrics/gynecology clinics across 13 health care systems in Illinois, as well as clinicians (n = 11), leadership (n = 6) and staff (n = 7) from Planned Parenthood of Illinois clinics. Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we coded and analyzed interview transcripts in Dedoose with a focus on themes regarding steps to improve quality and sustainability of telehealth.

Results

Participants expressed generally positive attitudes towards telehealth, noting that it increased access to care and time for patient education. Still, many highlighted areas of implementation that needed improvement. Clinic operations were complicated by gaps in telehealth training and the logistical needs of balancing telehealth and in-person appointments. Clinics had difficulty ensuring patient awareness of telehealth as an option for care, in addition to deficiencies with the telehealth technology itself. Finally, innovative resources for telehealth patients, while existent, have not been evenly offered across clinics. This includes the use of self-injection birth control, as well as providing medical equipment such as blood pressure cuffs in community settings. Some themes reflect issues specific to contraceptive counseling while others reflect issues with telehealth implementation in general, including confusion about reimbursement.

Conclusion

Illinois contraceptive care providers and staff wish to sustain telehealth for the long term, while also recommending specific improvements to patient communications, clinic operations, and access to supportive resources.

Implications

Our study highlights considerations for clinics to optimize implementation of telehealth services for contraceptive care. Providers described the value of clear workflows to balance in-person and telehealth visits, streamlined communications platforms, targeted patient outreach, training on providing virtual contraceptive care, and creative approaches to ensuring patient access to resources.