It’s rather terrible how women have had to put up with certain things in healthcare that do not consider their needs.
From booking GP appointments weeks in advance to sitting in waiting rooms, surrounded by ageing leaflets on menopause and pregnancy complications, it may feel as though time hasn’t truly advanced for us.
Getting something sensitive sorted without announcing it to everyone in town sometimes feels impossible, making it nothing less than a quiet endurance test. On a technical level, the UK’s healthcare functions as intended. However, dignity, privacy, autonomy, and our time were factors that were never truly taken into consideration. That is, until telemedicine came along to save the day.
How did telemedicine become the new norm after COVID-19?
Once the COVID-19 pandemic forced half the country to stay indoors, the NHS had to adapt quickly. Remote consultations, once considered rare, clunky, and inefficient, were turned into the default way to seek medical advice overnight. Fortunately, the system received the NHS’s full attention: no bus or tube rides, no awkward wait in packed clinics, and very little waiting time.
Telemedicine, in particular, saw a 38 per cent increase in usage by mid-2021 globally, as per McKinsey. As a result, what began as an emergency response quickly became a new standard of care. For women, especially, it’s been transformative. The traditional means failed at serving our needs, and there wasn’t a viable alternative until now.
What challenges do women still face when trying to access healthcare?
The problem, as we mentioned at the outset, is that a woman’s day-to-day realities have been a largely overlooked subject in healthcare. Whether it be seeking help for UTI or simply discussing period health, the process is more exhausting than the problem itself. Three barriers, in particular, may seem simple to deal with, but are, in reality, unimaginably draining.
Let’s talk about geographical and logistical challenges first. Living outside a city has become a bane to women’s health. The lack of healthcare itself meant crossing half the country to see a specialist. Logistically, the lack of personal transport, arranging childcare, or taking leave from a job makes the task feel even more impossible.
Then there’s the issue of privacy and the stigma surrounding it all. The harsh reality is that people talk even when women do something as small as picking up a prescription. When you seek medical care, you risk a neighbour or relative spotting you, potentially hiding it from your partner and family. At the clinic, there is pressure to make sure no one else knows what you need help with. All this is because privacy as a concept remains non-existent, and the stigma around women’s health refuses to evaporate into thin air.
Finally, the financial and insurance hurdles. Yes, NHS care is free at the point of use, but you must note that there are indirect costs attached to this free care. Time off work, travel expenses, childcare arrangements, and the stress of navigating the healthcare itself are indirect expenses that women pay for with their mental and physical energy. Private care, while a faster and more convenient option, has its own challenges. Fees for consultations and procedures, along with insurance requirements, make it inaccessible for many.
How can women safely get the abortion pill online through telemedicine?
Although abortion remains legal in the UK, access to it is inconsistent. Everything, from geographical disparities, referral delays, and social stigma, can make what is a legal right feel too far out of reach.
Thanks to telemedicine, however, a shift can be observed that allows women to consult healthcare professionals remotely and seek the abortion pill online. There is no need for a pharmacy pickup or face-to-face interaction unless medically necessary. The process is discrete and focused entirely on patient autonomy. These services, after all, are built on the motto of maintaining clinical rigour and providing utmost privacy and accessibility.
What are the benefits of using telemedicine for abortion care?
It is difficult to overstate the numerous logistical and emotional burdens that are removed with remote consultations. Women are no longer required to rearrange just about every aspect of their lives to attend one appointment. A mobile device and a private space are all that is needed from them. Not only that, but it is critical to observe how much of a difference even limited access to confidential telehealth services can make in controlled or unsafe environments. These platforms allow us to retain control over our health decisions.
Another thing worth noting is that the whole process is safe. Take the data from the Guttmacher Institute, for example, which confirms that self-managed medical abortion is absolutely secure, effective, and, in fact, the best way to extend care to remote and otherwise underserved communities.
More than any physical convenience, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that telemedicine also represents the return of bodily autonomy and control back to us. Not to say that the NHS is non-essential, but the integration of remote healthcare into standard healthcare has demonstrated that accessible, patient-centred services can be an actual reality for women all over the UK.
What the future of women’s healthcare looks like
Ultimately, what is most important is to view telemedicine not as a fleeting trend but as a well-established component of women’s healthcare in the UK. For those in under-resourced areas of the land, it represents the only practical means of accessing timely care. Every woman, regardless of geography, income, or personal circumstances, deserves access to confidential, reliable healthcare. It is much deserving of the term “revolution”, as for once, the system is evolving in alignment with women’s needs, marking a significant step in the right direction.
