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.