How Telehealth Is Helping Women Access Better Care
Telehealth is a discreet solution for women’s health concerns
There are certain women’s health concerns, like menopause, postpartum care and even hair loss, that can create a sense of embarrassment or taboo. As a result, despite how common each of these health challenges is, they’re often suppressed and swept under the rug, even when there’s effective treatment available.
While education is one way to help dismantle negative beliefs pertaining to women’s issues, telehealth is an approach capable of bridging this care gap. This convenient, flexible and discreet virtual care model is paving the way for better and more timely care for women nationwide. Below, we’ll dive a bit deeper into the benefits of virtual women’s health.
Tackling peri-menopause and menopause treatments
The population of women of menopausal age is growing and is expected to reach 1.65 billion globally by 2050. Given that menopause can affect much of a woman’s life, effective care methods are needed.
How telehealth can help
Telemedicine is uniquely suited for menopause services like hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Given the nature of care, something as convenient as a video or telephone visit has been proven to be effective. Authors of one study reported “high levels” of patient satisfaction, noting that patients even preferred this modality.
Another study assessed clinician and patient satisfaction with video conferencing telehealth services for managing menopausal symptoms. 97% of clinicians said they would use telehealth again for patients, and 91% stated that the standard of care wasn’t affected. In addition, patients reported the following:
All patients found video appointments seamless and less time-consuming than in-person appointments.
94% believed that the standard of care received was equivalent to an in-person appointment
97% were satisfied with their virtual consultation and would choose telehealth again
57% said their main reason for choosing virtual care was saving travel time and money
Plus, the discretion associated with virtual menopause care makes patients feel more comfortable disclosing often unaddressed symptoms. This preventative approach results in long-term cost savings for patients, providers, and more.
Managing women’s hair loss using telehealth
Research has discovered that among the wide range of dermatological concerns, hair loss (alopecia) is the primary reason for seeking a dermatologic assessment. In fact, nearly 73% of patients see a dermatologist within a year of its onset.
Services like teledermatology provide a cost-effective and accessible avenue for those with hair loss disorders and/or issues. It not only eliminates the barriers that are common with in-person care, it gives individuals the ability to discuss their concerns in the comforts of their own homes.
Female alopecia services are an evolving market
According to market insights, the hair loss market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.1% from 2024 to 2030. While the male market dominated in 2023, the female alopecia market is expected to grow at the fastest rate over the forecast period.
The stats on hair loss in women
Although rarely discussed, alopecia in women is more common than people think. Approximately one-third of women encounter hair loss at some point in their lives, and nearly two-thirds of post-menopausal women experience bald spots or thinning. These symptoms can be devastating for women as they face greater societal pressures due to decreased cosmetic acceptance.
There’s research highlighting that baldness more negatively affects women, citing that it can cause marital issues and even career-related problems. Common psychological dilemmas women experience due to hair loss are:
Reduced confidence
Anxiety
Embarrassment
Anger
Depression
Social withdrawal
Suicidal tendencies
The authors shared that these same psychological symptoms are often seen in those with chronic or severe life-threatening conditions.
Even though early interventions for hair loss may encourage regrowth and decrease the speed of hair thinning, many women still delay treatment.
However, telehealth is a solution that can remove those psychological delays through discreet online care. A woman can have an appointment with a provider today, in her home and be prescribed a hair loss treatment in as little as 24 hours.
The rise of tele-trichology
Teletrichology is also emerging and focuses on specifically aiding with male and female hair loss. This approach allows dermatologists to effectively assess and treat patients by instructing them to conduct tests at home, such as:
Pull/tug tests
Measuring the thickness of their ponytail
Showing daily hair shedding following shampooing
Measuring the distance from their hairline to the glabella
Using a smartphone app to take pictures of the scalp
Women’s sexual health
Even today, topics relating to sexual health are shrouded in secrecy and seen as taboo conversations. As a result, there is a lack of health services for those seeking contraception, STI testing and other essential sexual health treatments.
On top of that, similar to the above conditions, research illustrates that embarrassment discourages individuals from going to sexual health clinics. This has led to increased rates of unplanned pregnancies and STIs. The authors further explained that women have difficulty making informed decisions about their reproductive health due to misinformation and societal pressures.
The role of telemedicine in sexual health
During the COVID-19 pandemic, doors opened for those seeking sexual health care as people became more comfortable with virtual services. A health article noted how boosting the availability of home-based testing provides patients with more privacy, which may encourage them to continue testing. Non-clinic-based testing may also improve partner services, like test kits, and promote adherence to best practices for rescreening and follow-up care of STIs.
The authors shared additional insights and benefits of telehealth, including:
Patients report greater acceptance, satisfaction and engagement in sexual health care services.
Remote care promotes patient confidentiality
Patients experience cost-savings
A solution for individuals who can’t miss work or travel long distances
An option for local clinics with only one provider
Improves staff resources at clinics
Allows in-person practitioners to spend more time on complex cases
And more
Maternal health services
Currently, the United States is one of the only high-income countries where maternal mortality and morbidity have gotten worse over the last few decades. Telehealth, however, is a suggested method for enhancing the current standard of care.
Many healthcare services can be offered remotely during and following pregnancy, including:
Mental health support
Consultation with specialists
Remote patient monitoring, such as fetal heart rate, weight, blood sugar, blood pressure and more
Prenatal care: telehealth offers greater flexibility
The traditional care model expects pregnant women to have at least 14 in-clinic visits, which can be time-consuming. However, only a few of these appointments, such as those requiring ultrasounds and vaccinations, actually require in-person care.
As a result, several medical centers have incorporated virtual visits for low-risk pregnancies to replace some of the in-person appointments. Telehealth allows patients to maintain care continuity without disrupting their family and work responsibilities. Plus, research has found that it may reduce labor inductions and cesarean sections without any changes in neonatal outcomes.
Postpartum care: telehealth meets women where they are
Following birth, postpartum care helps monitor a woman’s physical, mental and emotional well-being. Yet, it’s a period that’s often overlooked. As it currently stands, patients usually don’t see their doctor again until six weeks after delivery, even though issues may occur prior to that.
It’s also found that only about 60% of women attend their postpartum visit, with many citing barriers such as:
Lifestyle changes relating to the care of their newborn
Lack of childcare assistance
Poor transportation
Telehealth has been shown to increase postpartum visit attendance and depression screening. Providers can meet patients where they are by communicating via phone, text and/or video. If necessary, at-home remote patient monitoring equipment can also be used to assess blood pressure and more.
Telehealth offers women greater access and better care
Telehealth is a valuable tool for getting women the care they need, when and how they need it most. From prenatal care and menopause treatments to the health-related concerns in between, telemedicine is an approach patients and providers are comfortable with and want more of.
If you’d like to expand your patient reach while also offering discreet, convenient and quality women’s health care, consider telehealth. At OpenLoop, we make virtual care delivery possible with our white-labeled digital health infrastructure solutions and 50-state PC and pharmacy networks. Our seamless and scalable white-label solutions make improving women’s access to care possible.
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