Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Family Planning has reduced services by 50%
As the pandemic continues throughout the globe, women must cope with reduced access to reproductive health specialist appointments. Bayer Philippines launched an innovative public service campaign centered on women’s reproductive help to bring information to those who might need it.
The pandemic has led to an increased reliance on telemedicine. One study showed that because of COVID-19, there had been a 6,000% increase in telemedicine. Approximately ten years of telemedicine advances in technology happened in a year. Unfortunately, it took a pandemic to show that women could get adequate reproductive healthcare through telemedicine.
One of the more lasting shifts in telemedicine comes from the world of direct-to-consumer (D2C) healthcare delivery. The use of smartphone apps to deliver specific help, such as getting birth control, removes the need for a referral.
One of the needs not yet addressed is about 15% of women who have regular cell phones without smartphone apps. Of course, the D2C market would need to discover a way to reach all women who need reproductive healthcare.
Reproductive health through digital access
The use of telemedicine across the women’s health spectrum increased because of the pandemic. Fortunately, much of the professional world had already refined teleconferencing, which meant medicine could use the same digital means for delivering medical.
The pandemic influenced OBGYN care. In one report, the vast majority of OBGYNs had incorporated telemedicine into their practices. Yet, most saw significant issues when implementing telemedicine care. Around six in ten OBGYNs are at least a little worried their patients won’t receive adequate care for serious procedures.
Like other medical specialties, women’s reproductive health will need to change healthcare delivery methods to meet patient needs. This is a move the CDC recommends.