ArticleBMJ global health2021
A double-edged sword-telemedicine for maternal care during COVID-19: findings from a global mixed-methods study of healthcare providers.
Article in BMJ global health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 80 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
80 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 195 citations in OpenAlex.
- Midwives' experience of telehealth and remote care: a systematic mixed methods review.BMJ open · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Maternity care during COVID-19: a qualitative evidence synthesis of women's and maternity care providers' views and experiences.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Pooled it
- Risk Factors for Postpartum Depression During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review.Journal of primary care & community healthPooled it
- Shaping Adoption and Sustained Use Across the Maternal Journey: Qualitative Study on Perceived Usability and Credibility in Digital Health Tools.JMIR human factors · 2024Trial
- Feasibility and acceptability of an online mental health intervention for pregnant women and their partners: a mixed method study with a pilot randomized control trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Trial
- Contextual factors affecting the implementation of an anemia focused virtual counseling intervention for pregnant women in plains Nepal: a mixed methods process evaluation.BMC public health · 2023Trial
- The Paradox of Digital Monitoring: A Cross-Sectional Study of mHealth Adoption and Its Association with Psychological Distress Among Pregnant Women in Romania.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Slipping through the net: a qualitative study exploring women's experiences of maternity in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Patient-centred postpartum care provision: virtual delivery, tiered escalation, and tensions between efficiency, preference, and clinical concern.BMC medicine · 2026Article
- Equity-centred, nurse-led implementation of artificial intelligence in community maternal and child health nursing: a conceptual framework for low-resource settings.Frontiers in public health · 2026Review
- Feeling wronged: maternity care experiences of black, Sub-Saharan African migrant women living in Belgium during COVID-19.Frontiers in global women's health · 2026Article
- Determinants of feasibility, acceptability and reach of mobile phone delivery of an Adolescent Transition Package (ATP) supporting the transition of youth living with HIV to adult HIV care in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Enabling Digital Compassion in Digital Health Environments: Modified eDelphi Study to Identify Interprofessional Competencies and Technology Attributes.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Virtual-Based Prenatal Care Methods and Their Reported Outcomes-A Scoping Review.Health science reports · 2025Review
- Mapping Research Trends on the Implications of Telemedicine for Healthcare Professionals: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Virtual telehealth visits for prenatal checkups during the COVID- 19 pandemic in Japan: a nationwide survey and feasibility study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Digital Motherhood in the Postpartum Period: A Descriptive Study.Maternal and child health journal · 2025Article
- Correlation Between the Online Visiting Time and Frequency Increase in Telemedicine Services Offered by Health Care Providers Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in China: Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- A scoping review of digital technologies in antenatal care: recent progress and applications of digital technologies.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
20 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid implementation of telemedicine for the provision of maternal and newborn healthcare. The objective of this study was to document the experiences with providing telemedicine for maternal and newborn healthcare during the pandemic among healthcare professionals globally.
methodsThe second round of a global online survey of maternal and newborn health professionals was conducted, disseminated in 11 languages. Data were collected between 5 July and 10 September 2020. The questionnaire included questions regarding background, preparedness and response to COVID-19, and experiences with providing telemedicine. Descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis were used to analyse responses, disaggregated by country income level.
resultsResponses from 1060 maternal and newborn health professionals were analysed. Telemedicine was used by 58% of health professionals and two-fifths of them reported not receiving guidelines on the provision of telemedicine. Key telemedicine practices included online birth preparedness classes, antenatal and postnatal care by video/phone, a COVID-19 helpline and online psychosocial counselling. Challenges reported lack of infrastructure and technological literacy, limited monitoring, financial and language barriers, lack of non-verbal feedback and bonding, and distrust from patients. Telemedicine was considered as an important alternative to in-person consultations. However, health providers emphasised the lower quality of care and risk of increasing the already existing inequalities in access to healthcare.
conclusionsTelemedicine has been applied globally to address disruptions of care provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some crucial aspects of maternal and newborn healthcare seem difficult to deliver by telemedicine. More research regarding the effectiveness, efficacy and quality of telemedicine for maternal healthcare in different contexts is needed before considering long-term adaptations in provision of care away from face-to-face interactions. Clear guidelines for care provision and approaches to minimising socioeconomic and technological inequalities in access to care are urgently needed.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.