Telehealth for Reproductive Health Services for Economically Disadvantaged Youth

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Telehealth Services
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Limited research exists on reproductive health service utilization and outcomes via telehealth for economically disadvantaged adolescents and young adults (AYA) in community settings.
• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare delivery, necessitating the adoption of telehealth services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare reproductive health service use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To analyze the types and quality of reproductive health services based on telehealth visit completion among economically disadvantaged AYA.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical records for AYA seeking reproductive health services at urban family planning and school-based clinics (2019-2021).
• Analysis of visit-type differences and associated factors by year and telehealth completion.
• Comparison of patient demographics and service utilization between telehealth users and non-users.

Main Results:

• A total of 27,961 unique patients were served. Telehealth was completed by 17.98% of patients.
• Telehealth use was higher among young adults, females, Black, non-Hispanic, and higher-income patients.
• Telehealth users were more likely to complete STI testing, had more visits annually, and had higher odds of requiring a return visit (OR 1.5).

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight significant disparities in telehealth utilization among economically disadvantaged AYA.
• Telehealth adoption in reproductive health services requires targeted strategies to ensure equitable access for all AYA.
• The study provides a foundation for developing interventions to address identified gaps in telehealth access and utilization.