New Zealand offers web-based telemedicine services to support abortion.
In today’s media release, Senior Minister Ayesha Verrall announced that she will launch a dedicated website called Decide to provide information and advice on abortion and to provide telephone consultations with healthcare professionals. She added that all patients in this upcoming service will be part of an active follow-up process.
The service is led by Family Planning and Magma Healthcare (also known as the Women’s Clinic), a sexual and reproductive healthcare provider with experience in providing sexual health and abortion services via telehealth. increase.
The phased deployment will begin on April 26, when referrals and information about abortion services will be available. The second phase of the launch, starting July 1, will provide follow-up care and abortion-related counseling.
In the final stages of deployment from November, telemedicine services such as telephone early abortion (EMA) clinical consultation and drug delivery will be available. From this stage onwards, it was emphasized that patients could seek abortion services directly from the practitioner.
Important reason
The launch of this service will increase access to abortion support currently provided by some district health committees. “Telehealth gives people easy access to services and support that already exist, especially those who find it difficult to reach doctors and clinics,” Dr. Verrall emphasized.[i]Care for n people is always provided, but it is important that other options are available when appropriate. “
Larger context
When New Zealand made abortion non-criminal in 2020, the Ministry of Health found through a national survey that EMA, the end of pregnancy without surgery, is inaccessible to many. In the same year, the percentage of EMAs surged from the previous 22% to 36%. Surgical abortion, on the other hand, has declined significantly, accounting for only 59% of all abortions, compared to 72% in 2019.
According to Dr. Verrall, national telemedicine services are part of a broader change to abortion regulations. Last year, the ministry allowed primary care providers to prescribe medications used in EMA. Earlier this year, the government lifted some restrictions on funding abortion drugs.
In other related news, WomenFirst Digital, a global digital health social company, partnered with Doctors Without Borders last year to shoot a series of videos trying to answer questions about drug abortion. Recent studies have shown that administration of drug-based abortions via telemedicine is generally safe and effective.
In the United States, the Biden administration allowed the abortion drug to be delivered by mail during a pandemic, and the Supreme Court A decision to prevent the use of telemedicine to obtain an abortion.
