Digital health, including telemedicine, has increased access to abortion
care. The convenience, flexibility of appointment times, and ensured privacy to
abortion users may make abortion services via telemedicine preferable. This
scoping review systematically mapped studies conducted on abortion services via
telemedicine, including their effectiveness and acceptability for abortion
users and providers. All published papers included abortion services via
telemedicine in the United States were considered. Articles were searched in
PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases in September 2022. The findings
were synthesized narratively, and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines were used to report
this study. Out of 757 retrieved articles, 33 articles were selected based on
the inclusion criteria. These studies were published between 2011 and 2022,
with 24 published in the last 3 years. The study found that telemedicine
increased access to abortion care in the United States, especially for people
in remote areas or those worried about stigma from in-person visits. The
effectiveness of abortion services via telemedicine was comparable to in-clinic
visits, with 6% or fewer abortions requiring surgical intervention. Both care
providers and abortion seekers expressed positive perceptions of
telemedicine-based abortion services. However, abortion users reported mixed
emotions, with some preferring in-person visits. The most common reasons for
choosing telemedicine included the distance to the abortion clinic,
convenience, privacy, cost, flexibility of appointment times, and state laws
imposing waiting periods or restrictive policies. Telemedicine offered a
preferable option for abortion seekers and providers. The feasibility of
accessing abortion services via telemedicine in low-resource settings needs
further investigation.

通过电子健康和远程医疗，堕胎服务的可及性和可接受性得到提高。遥控医疗方式的堕胎服务在美国增加了可及性，特别对偏远地区和担心面对面就诊带来的社会压力的人群来说，是一种可取的选择。