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NCT Number: NCT06787274

Research on Equity in Abortion Care by TeleHealth

This study will examine the ways in which telehealth for reproductive healthcare affects timing, costs, and follow-up care; whether telehealth reaches people in areas with greater health inequities; and the attributes of telehealth that patients want. Study surveys will be administered to interested, eligible participants: 2,000 patients seeking abortion care will complete the study, comprising of 2 groups: patients seeking medication abortion care either (1) in-person or (2) via telehealth. This project will address how telehealth services can be optimized for people of color, low-income people, and immigrants to increase digital inclusion and health equity.

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Key information

Conditions

Abortion in First Trimester Abortion Early Abortion; Attempted

Age range

14 year–64 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH)

Oakland, California, 94612, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Jennifer Ko, MLIS

CONTACT

[email protected]

415-353-9113

Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

About this study

Given the novelty of telehealth abortion services and new abortion bans, there is a critical need for research on the role of telehealth for abortion to expand equitable abortion access among groups historically marginalized in healthcare. Outside of abortion care, telehealth appears to 1) bridge geographic disparities,2) facilitate language translation,3) provide privacy and safety for immigrants with varying legal statuses, 4) decrease patient costs, and 5) require less time off work or school. At the same time, telehealth services could exacerbate inequities if patients lack technology, internet connectivity, or digital literacy. Because abortion is overregulated and highly stigmatized, research on telehealth for abortion is vital. The investigators hypothesize that telehealth is associated with several benefits compared to in-person abortion care, but is not yet reaching people in areas with greater health inequities who need these innovations most. This research can also inform the policies in states that are considering ways to support people in banned states.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Must be currently or about to be obtaining medication abortion care through in-person or telehealth services

Exclusion criteria

  • Not currently or about to be obtaining medication abortion care through in-person or telehealth services

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Determine the ways in which telehealth services affect timing and time to care by comparing in-person and telehealth patients

    Time frame: Baseline

    Descriptive statistics for the elapsed days from the first pregnancy test to 1) date of the decision to have an abortion, 2) date of first contact with the clinic, 3) date of medication receipt, and 4) date mifepristone (the first medication) was ingested.

  2. Determine the ways in which telehealth services affect costs by comparing in-person and telehealth patients

    Time frame: Baseline and 1 week

    Report of 1) out-of-pocket costs for the abortion and 2) the costs of related expenses, including transportation, childcare, lost work, and other expenses.

  3. Determine the ways in which telehealth services affect follow-up care by comparing in-person and telehealth patients

    Time frame: 1 week

    The incidence of unplanned in-person follow-up visits to a clinician, emergency room, or other facility, between participants in the telehealth and in-person groups using logistic regression models.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Investigate the patient preferences for different aspects of telehealth for abortion care among historically marginalized groups

    Time frame: Baseline and 1 week

    We will conduct a discrete choice analysis to understand participant preferred choices for hypothetical delivery alternatives to telehealth abortion.

  2. Investigate the barriers in telehealth for abortion care in historically marginalized groups

    Time frame: Baseline and 1 week

    The barriers to hypothetical delivery alternatives to telehealth abortion between participants in the telehealth and in-person groups using a discrete choice model

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jennifer Ko, MLIS

CONTACT

[email protected]

415-353-9113

Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH

CONTACT

[email protected]

415-353-4626

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of California, San Francisco

Other

Collaborators

  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
  • Ibis Reproductive Health

Registry information

Official study title

Improving Health Equity by Understanding Preferences in Telehealth Abortion

Acronym: REACH

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jan 22, 2025
Registry last updated
Apr 8, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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