Interview Preparation

Telehealth has revolutionized the way healthcare services are delivered, becoming an increasingly popular means of delivering remote healthcare to patients. This was particularly true during the COVID-19 pandemic when telehealth was a crucial part of combating a public health crisis.

We now face another public health crisis: the continued erosion of abortion access in a post-Roe world and the resulting impact on our healthcare systems. While many people don’t know it, telehealth may once again be part of the solution.

However, frivolous lawsuits led by extremists, including the recent decision by a Texas federal court ordering a nationwide ban on mifepristone (the first of two drugs used in the FDA-approved regimen for medical abortion care), threaten this most safe and effective method of abortion.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, expanding telehealth access to abortion is essential to help people get the care they need. As someone who has worked extensively on solutions to expand access to reproductive health, I know that telehealth is a perfect fit for abortion care.

Not only has it been shown to be as safe and effective as in-person care, but it also reduces wait times, increases privacy, and can reach patients in remote and rural areas—things that have always been necessary for abortion care provision and are even more important today.

recent data from #We count show that telehealth has played an increasingly crucial role in meeting the needs of those seeking abortions since Roe was struck down. Telehealth abortion provided by virtual-only clinics increased by 137% in the six months after the Dobbs decision.

If you consider providers who work in brick-and-mortar clinics who also offer telehealth services, the numbers become even more staggering. It is important to note that while telehealth has increasingly become a lynchpin in the ability to access abortion, there are still tens of thousands of people who are denied abortion care.

Right now, abortion is banned or severely restricted in nearly half the states, leaving much of the country without an abortion provider who can even provide an in-person consultation.

Abortion is a time sensitive procedure. This is especially true for medical abortion care, which is safe and effective in terminating a pregnancy up to the first 10 to 12 weeks. Finding the means to travel across the state, let alone across state lines, can lead to delays and make this care out of reach, especially for BIPOC populations or those struggling to make ends meet.

As with other healthcare services, video conferencing or telephone consultations have the potential to remove these barriers, allowing providers to assess and counsel patients, prescribe medications remotely, and receive them at the patient’s home.

Telehealth has expanded the ability of healthcare to reach more and more people. The privacy it provides patients can also reduce the stigma and shame people feel when accessing healthcare.

While this is especially important for those who live in areas where they may be concerned about being sued, receiving confidential medical care in a private space of our choosing is something everyone can benefit from.

But when we say “everyone”, we really mean everyone. Those who have been and will continue to be hit hardest by the restrictions on abortion care are the same ones who face racism, poverty, and the myriad social determinants of health that negatively impact the lives of people of color and those struggling to make ends meet.

We have an opportunity to center equity in healthcare solutions. Bans on drugs like mifepristone will exacerbate inequities. When we talk about telehealth care delivery, we need to make sure it reaches communities that lack broadband and smartphone access and provide resources that address language needs and different levels of health literacy. We must center racial justice and provide culturally competent care.

Now is the time to continue the expansion and availability of telehealth, including for abortion care, not to go backwards. There is no doubt that we are in the midst of a crisis, but there is also no doubt that we can meet that crisis with innovative solutions.

By bringing together advocates, providers, businesses, and innovators, we can forge partnerships to expand healthcare, including the abortion care ecosystem.