Monday, January 30, 2023
ISSN 2765-8767
  • Survey
  • Podcast
  • Write for Us
Daily Remedy
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Podcasts
    A conversation with Dr. Selwyn O. Rogers, trauma surgeon and gun policy expert

    A conversation with Dr. Selwyn O. Rogers, trauma surgeon and gun policy expert

    November 25, 2022
    A conversation with Dr. Kyle Fischer, policy director for the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention

    A conversation with Dr. Kyle Fischer, policy director for the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention

    November 25, 2022
    A conversation with Dr. Edwin Leap, physician writer and emergency medicine physician

    A conversation with Dr. Edwin Leap, writer and emergency medicine physician

    November 8, 2022
    A conversation with Mr. Omar M Khateeb, innovator in medical device sales

    A conversation with Mr. Omar M Khateeb, innovator in medical device sales

    October 31, 2022
    A conversation with Miss Smriti Kirubanandan, passionate healthcare strategist

    A conversation with Miss Smriti Kirubanandan, passionate healthcare strategist

    October 23, 2022
    A conversation with Mr. Michael Johnson, legal expert in physician contracts

    A conversation with Mr. Michael Johnson, legal expert in physician contracts

    October 23, 2022
  • Surveys

    Surveys

    Does inflation affect how you use your deductible?

    Does inflation affect how you use your deductible?

    by Jay K Joshi
    December 12, 2022

    Survey Resutls

    How strongly do you believe that you can tell when your provider does not trust you?

    How strongly do you believe that you can tell when your provider does not trust you?

    October 16, 2022
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Support Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Podcasts
    A conversation with Dr. Selwyn O. Rogers, trauma surgeon and gun policy expert

    A conversation with Dr. Selwyn O. Rogers, trauma surgeon and gun policy expert

    November 25, 2022
    A conversation with Dr. Kyle Fischer, policy director for the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention

    A conversation with Dr. Kyle Fischer, policy director for the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention

    November 25, 2022
    A conversation with Dr. Edwin Leap, physician writer and emergency medicine physician

    A conversation with Dr. Edwin Leap, writer and emergency medicine physician

    November 8, 2022
    A conversation with Mr. Omar M Khateeb, innovator in medical device sales

    A conversation with Mr. Omar M Khateeb, innovator in medical device sales

    October 31, 2022
    A conversation with Miss Smriti Kirubanandan, passionate healthcare strategist

    A conversation with Miss Smriti Kirubanandan, passionate healthcare strategist

    October 23, 2022
    A conversation with Mr. Michael Johnson, legal expert in physician contracts

    A conversation with Mr. Michael Johnson, legal expert in physician contracts

    October 23, 2022
  • Surveys

    Surveys

    Does inflation affect how you use your deductible?

    Does inflation affect how you use your deductible?

    by Jay K Joshi
    December 12, 2022

    Survey Resutls

    How strongly do you believe that you can tell when your provider does not trust you?

    How strongly do you believe that you can tell when your provider does not trust you?

    October 16, 2022
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Support Us
No Result
View All Result
Daily Remedy
No Result
View All Result
Home Perspectives

Abortion Pills are Just as Safe to Prescribe Online as After an In-person Exam

The Conversation by The Conversation
March 22, 2022
in Perspectives
0
Abortion Pills are Just as Safe to Prescribe Online as After an In-person Exam

Abortion pills are just as safe to prescribe based on a patient’s medical history as after an in-person exam, new research finds

Removing ultrasound and pelvic exam requirements for medication abortion could help expand access to care.
Oleg Rebrik/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Ushma Upadhyay, University of California, San Francisco

For many people, accessing abortion care can be a major challenge. Abortion services are usually only available in certain clinics with specialized equipment like ultrasounds, often requiring long-distance travel to get there. When medication abortion, or abortion with pills, was introduced to the U.S. in 2000, it offered a more accessible option to end pregnancy.

However, medication abortion was initially highly regulated and could only be dispensed in person at abortion clinics. Guidelines also required an ultrasound to confirm that the patient was less than 11 weeks pregnant and not ectopic, meaning having a pregnancy where the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus and can result in a life-threatening miscarriage.

Due to the pandemic, however, a new screening model emerged that relies only on a patient’s medical history to confirm their eligibility for medication abortion. This means that patients don’t need to undergo an in-person pelvic exam or ultrasound. They can even have their medication mailed to them after a remote telehealth consultation with a clinician. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also permanently allowed mail-order pharmacies to ship abortion medications to patients.

As a public health social scientist who has studied abortion safety and access for over a decade, I wanted to see how this new care model compared to its predecessor. In our new study, my colleagues and I found that screening for a patient’s eligibility based on their medical history instead of physical exam or ultrasound was just as safe and effective as in-person tests and exams.

In December 2021, the FDA permanently ruled that medication abortion could be received by mail after a remote telehealth consultation.

The data on remote telehealth consultations

To compare the safety and effectiveness of these two care models, my colleagues and I collected the medical chart data of nearly 3,800 patients from 14 clinics across the U.S. About 66% of the patients saw a clinician in person and picked up their medication at the clinic, while 34% had a remote telehealth visit and received their medications via mail. None of the patients in either group received a screening physical exam or ultrasound.

We reviewed the data for any adverse events or problems patients may have had after taking the abortion pills. Overall, we found that 95% of patients completed their abortions without additional intervention. This is comparable to completion rates from previous studies on medication abortion prescribed after in-person ultrasounds and exams. Only 0.5% of patients experienced a serious adverse event, also comparable to previously reported rates after in-person exams.

We also found no significant difference in effectiveness or safety between the group that picked up their abortion pills in person and those who received them by mail after a telehealth consultation.

Overall, we found that medication abortions dispensed after reviewing a patient’s medical history are just as safe and effective as those prescribed after an in-person pelvic exam and ultrasound.

Close-up of person receiving abdominal ultrasound exam.
Medication abortion can be prescribed safely without an ultrasound.
svega/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Expanding access to equitable care

With a limited number of clinics and providers, insurance coverage bans and state restrictions, people seeking abortions face significant barriers to obtaining the care they need. These barriers disproportionately affect people of color, low-income groups and other marginalized people.

If Roe v. Wade is overturned or significantly altered, almost half the country will face even more difficulties accessing abortion care.

Minimizing in-person tests by shifting toward remote screening, however, could expand access to abortion care to more patients. Because no special equipment like ultrasound machines are needed, more clinicians can write a prescription for the pills. Primary care providers who work in rural, low-income and other marginalized communities could conduct medication abortion screening and increase equitable access to abortion care.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the National Abortion Federation have already updated their guidelines to reflect the fact that medical history review without an in-person pelvic exam and ultrasound is sufficient to confirm medication abortion eligibility.

But it is important to note that state restrictions prevent this new care model from being implemented nationwide. Some states legally require ultrasounds, and other states either require an in-person visit or prohibit telehealth screenings. As the high safety and effectiveness rates from our study and other ones show, these laws are not based on scientific evidence and medical necessity as they claim.

While this new model was originally introduced to reduce physical contact during the pandemic, it could help remove barriers to medication abortion and expand access to equitable care for all patients.

[Understand new developments in science, health and technology, each week. Subscribe to The Conversation’s science newsletter.]

Ushma Upadhyay, Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Science, University of California, San Francisco

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

ShareTweet
The Conversation

The Conversation

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Videos

YouTube Video VVUxUDVQenU5RTFjUVFKNDY2ZlBmdFB3LmdVUm55WVpqRmNn This is a video about Elemental/Essential Frameworks of Healthcare Law

00:00 Elemental/Essential Frameworks of Healthcare Law
Load More... Subscribe

Expert vs. Lay Testimony

Visuals

NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost)

NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost)

by Jay K Joshi
January 29, 2023
0

We list the acquisition price of drugs that are covered under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program - effectively, how much does the government pay for common drugs utilized by patients on Medicaid. Drugs listed are from A-CH.  

Read more

Twitter Updates

Tweets by DailyRemedy1

Newsletter

Start your Daily Remedy journey

Cultivate your knowledge of current healthcare events and ensure you receive the most accurate, insightful healthcare news and editorials.

*we hate spam as much as you do

Popular

  • Letter to the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners

    Letter to the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Prosecuting Doctors as Drug Dealers

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Why Our Prescribing were for Patients’ Best Interests

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • My Respect for the Law

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • DEA Sets CDC Opioid Guidelines

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Daily Remedy

Daily Remedy offers the best in healthcare information and healthcare editorial content. We take pride in consistently delivering only the highest quality of insight and analysis to ensure our audience is well-informed about current healthcare topics - beyond the traditional headlines.

Daily Remedy website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. We do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All rights reserved.

Important Links

  • Support Us
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Newsletter

Start your Daily Remedy journey

Cultivate your knowledge of current healthcare events and ensure you receive the most accurate, insightful healthcare news and editorials.

*we hate spam as much as you do

  • Survey
  • Podcast
  • About Us
  • Contact us

© 2023 Daily Remedy

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Contrarian
    • Financial Markets
    • Innovations & Investing
    • Perspectives
    • Politics & Law
    • Trends
    • Uncertainty & Complexity
  • Podcasts
  • Surveys
    • Survey Results
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Support Us

© 2023 Daily Remedy

Start your Daily Remedy journey

Cultivate your knowledge of current healthcare events and ensure you receive the most accurate, insightful healthcare news and editorials.

*we hate spam as much as you do