TY  - JOUR
AU  - Farrell, Ruth
AU  - Collart, Christina
AU  - Craighead, Caitlin
AU  - Pierce, Madelyn
AU  - Chien, Edward
AU  - Frankel, Richard
AU  - Tucker Edmonds, Brownsyne
AU  - Perni, Uma
AU  - Coleridge, Marissa
AU  - Ranzini, Angela C
AU  - Rose, Susannah
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/3/30
TI  - The Successes and Challenges of Implementing Telehealth for Diverse Patient Populations Requiring Prenatal Care During COVID-19: Qualitative Study
JO  - JMIR Form Res
SP  - e32791
VL  - 6
IS  - 3
KW  - prenatal health care delivery
KW  - telehealth
KW  - COVID-19
KW  - patient experience
KW  - challenge
KW  - telemedicine
KW  - pregnancy
KW  - women
KW  - diversity
KW  - prenatal
KW  - obstetric
KW  - reception
KW  - experience
KW  - development
AB  - Background: Although telehealth appears to have been accepted among some obstetric populations before the COVID-19 pandemic, patients’ receptivity and experience with the rapid conversion of this mode of health care delivery are unknown. Objective: In this study, we examine patients' prenatal care needs, preferences, and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of supporting the development of successful models to serve the needs of pregnant patients, obstetric providers, and health care systems during this time. Methods: This study involved qualitative methods to explore pregnant patients’ experiences with prenatal health care delivery at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted in-depth interviews with pregnant patients in the first and second trimester of pregnancy who received prenatal care in Cleveland, Ohio, from May to July 2020. An interview guide was used to probe experiences with health care delivery as it rapidly evolved at the onset of the pandemic. Results: Although advantages of telehealth were noted, there were several concerns noted with the broad implementation of telehealth for prenatal care during the pandemic. This included concerns about monitoring the pregnancy at home; the need for additional reassurance for the pregnancy, given the uncertainties presented by the pandemic; and the ability to have effective patient-provider discussions via a telehealth visit. The need to tailor telehealth to prenatal health care delivery was noted. Conclusions: Although previous studies have demonstrated that telehealth is a flexible and convenient alternative for some prenatal appointments, our study suggests that there may be specific needs and concerns among the diverse patient groups using this modality during the pandemic. More research is needed to understand patients' experiences with telehealth during the pandemic and develop approaches that are responsive to the needs and preferences of patients. 
SN  - 2561-326X
UR  - https://formative.jmir.org/2022/3/e32791
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/32791
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35275833
DO  - 10.2196/32791
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/32791
ER  -