Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39102679›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2024

Virtual Clinic Telehealth Abortion Services in the United States One Year After Dobbs: Landscape Review.

Leah R Koenig, Jennifer Ko, Ushma D Upadhyay

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Abortion Surveillance - United States, 2022.Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002) · 2024
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Pricing of medication abortion in the United States, 2021-2023.Perspectives on sexual and reproductive health · 2024
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Leah R KoenigAdvancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-4982-8672
Jennifer KoAdvancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, CA, United States.ORCID 0009-0002-9989-1386
Ushma D UpadhyayAdvancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-2731-2157

Funding

UCSF Data Science Training to Advance Behavioral and Social Science Expertise for Health Research (DaTABASE) ProgramT32MD015070 · NIMHD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI William Brown III, Yulin Hswen · 2020 to 2026
$1.7M
Protocols to ascertain adverse events after telehealth sexual and reproductive health servicesF31HD111277 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI KOENIG, LEAH REN-AI · 2023 to 2024
$81k
NICHD NIH HHS F31 HD111277NIMHD NIH HHS T32 MD015070
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTelehealth abortion has taken on a vital role in maintaining abortion access since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision. However, little remains known about the landscape of new telehealth-only virtual clinic abortion providers that have expanded since telehealth abortion first became widely available in the United States in 2021.

objectiveThis study aimed to (1) document the landscape of telehealth-only virtual clinic abortion care in the United States, (2) describe changes in the presence of virtual clinic abortion services between September 2022, following the Dobbs decision, and June 2023, and (3) identify structural factors that may perpetuate inequities in access to virtual clinic abortion care.

methodsWe conducted a repeated cross-sectional study by reviewing web search results and abortion directories to identify virtual abortion clinics in September 2022 and June 2023 and described changes in the presence of virtual clinics between these 2 periods. In June 2023, we also described each virtual clinic's policies, including states served, costs, patient age limits, insurance acceptance, financial assistance available, and gestational limits.

resultsWe documented 11 virtual clinics providing telehealth abortion care in 26 states and Washington DC in September 2022. By June 2023, 20 virtual clinics were providing services in 27 states and Washington DC. Most (n=16) offered care to minors, 8 provided care until 10 weeks of pregnancy, and median costs were US $259. In addition, 2 accepted private insurance and 1 accepted Medicaid, within a limited number of states. Most (n=16) had some form of financial assistance available.

conclusionsVirtual clinic abortion providers have proliferated since the Dobbs decision. We documented inequities in the availability of telehealth abortion care from virtual clinics, including age restrictions that exclude minors, gestational limits for care, and limited insurance and Medicaid acceptance. Notably, virtual clinic abortion care was not permitted in 11 states where in-person abortion is available.

Indexed as

Abortion, InducedHealth Services AccessibilityTelemedicineAdultAmbulatory Care FacilitiesCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansPregnancyUnited Statesabortionaccesshealth equitymedication abortionpolicytelehealthvirtual clinics

Identifiers

PMID39102679
PMCPMC11333862

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.