ABSTRACT
Background: At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth practices for pregnancy-related care were rapidly implemented. Telehealth for pregnancy-related care is likely to continue after the pandemic. In order for health systems and clinicians to provide person-centered pregnancy-related care via telehealth, it is critical to understand patients' telehealth experiences and their preferences regarding use of telehealth moving forward. Objective: To describe perceived quality of prenatal and postpartum telehealth visits during COVID-19 and to examine the association between telehealth quality during the pandemic and future telehealth preferences. Study Design: We used data from of an online sample of US women 18-45 seeking reproductive health care during COVID-19. Two cross-sections of survey data were collected in July 2020 and January 2021. This analysis includes those who sought prenatal (n=1496) or postpartum care (n=482) during the pandemic. Among those who had a prenatal or postpartum telehealth visit, we used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between a measure of perceived telehealth quality and openness to future telehealth visits, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: 57.5% of prenatal and 52.9% of postpartum respondents had a telehealth appointment. Respondents agreed with most statements about the quality of their telehealth appointments, with 80% or more reporting was convenient, easy, safe, and that they got good information. Lower ranked quality items related to visits feeling personal and the patient feeling cared for. 35.2% of prenatal (n=816) and 43.3% of postpartum (n=231) respondents expressed openness to telehealth visits in the future. Prenatal and postpartum respondents reporting higher telehealth quality had increased odds of being open to telehealth in the future (Prenatal: aOR=1.2, 95% CI=1.2, 1.3; Postpartum: aOR=1.2, 95% CI=1.1, 1.3). Conclusion: Prenatal and postpartum respondents with better telehealth experiences were more likely to express openness to telehealth in the future, although the majority preferred future in-person visits. As pregnancy-related telehealth continues, it is important to offer appointment options that match patient preferences, especially populations that face barriers in access to care, and to explore ways to personalize care and support positive patient-provider relationships.