Telehealth
There is significant interest in telehealth/remote health care as a
result of the pandemic.3 Our data documents the
general move, in both countries, to shift in-person appointments to
virtual appointments where possible and appropriate. The pandemic has
hastened digital developments within healthcare. Some prenatal and
postnatal appointments became remote in both countries, particularly
where no physical examinations were required and there was no known
indication for face-to-face input. Innovations were then implemented to
make digitisation of care possible, including different ways to provide
secure remote care. The NL documents provided relevant detail, such as
examples of online and telephone applications that meet the safety
standards required by Dutch law. In the UK, healthcare documents placed
more emphasis on advice around the appropriate use of telemedicine by
staff, for example to use a neutral background in a video conversation.
As the pandemic progressed, more attention was placed on the advantages
and disadvantages of remote care, with the aim of optimising the
benefits and reducing any risks. Various organisations, including KNOV,
NVK, RCOG and RCM, emphasised the benefits of using video consultations
over telephone appointments. Video consultation then became the
preferred method for remote appointments. However, there was heightened
awareness among service user organisations and professional
organisations such as BC and RCOG, that remote care was not suitable for
all, and that certain groups of women could be disproportionately
disadvantaged due to digital poverty, lack of privacy at home, or
language restrictions. Organisations within both countries identified
safeguarding concerns in relation to the difficulties associated with
identifying domestic violence and/or mental health issues, where remote
technology is used.
Digital information innovations for parents were stimulated by the need
to provide structured, regularly updated, and congruent information. In
both countries there was an emphasis in policy documents on the use of
social media, and on helplines and online groups for service users.
Information for parents was provided through the digital platforms
available to healthcare organisations and videos on YouTube (for
example, videos on breastfeeding and how to bath a baby were produced by
maternity care assistant organisations in the NL) and hospital tours
were provided online.