https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2594-7615
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ABSTRACT
Background
The COVID-19 epidemic has restricted the use of maternal health services, including prenatal care. Telehealth and telemedicine are remote services that can help in the event of a COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we examined the use of telehealth and telemedicine in prenatal care in various countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
Relevant titles were searched in five e-book databases from 31 December 2019 to 31 July 2021: PUBMED, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar. Articles were chosen based on the following criteria: a focus on pregnant women, a connection to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a focus on telehealth and telemedicine. A narrative synthesis was used to synthesize the data.
Results
Telehealth and telemedicine reduced the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to pregnant women and health workers. The implementation process encountered various challenges, such as the absence of service composition, limited technological accessibility, communication difficulties, and disparities in access.
Conclusions
It is imperative for the government and health organizations to have a comprehensive policy and legislation that effectively regulates the provision of services. It is also important to emphasize the importance of reducing inequality, such as by equalizing access to technology and infrastructure.
Acknowledgments
None stated.
Declaration of financial/other relationships
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.