The perceptions of Midwives regarding the use of telehealth. A systematic review of qualitative research
1 Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica (UniWA), Athens, Greece.
2 “Alexandra” General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Review
World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2023, 16(01), 008–015.
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjbphs.2023.16.1.0411
Publication history:
Received on 22 August 2023; revised on 28 September 2023; accepted on 01 October 2023
Abstract:
Introduction: Telehealth, originally designed to serve rural and remote areas, is now increasingly utilized in urban centers. Various medical specialties widely employ it. However, its use in midwifery remains limited. The purpose of this particular study is to elucidate the perspectives of midwives regarding the utilization of telehealth resources.
Methodology: A systematic review of the electronic database PubMed was conducted to identify qualitative studies pertaining to midwives' perspectives on the use of telehealth. A critical assessment of the selected studies was performed.
Results: Four studies met the inclusion criteria. Telehealth modalities can complement private encounters between midwives and women during pregnancy, in the latent phase of labor, and in the postpartum period. Barriers to the integration of these technologies include midwives' lack of familiarity with them, issues related to data security, workplace organization, and the way of implementation of these technologies.
Discussion: Midwives acknowledge the potential offered by modern telehealth technologies. However, legal considerations and midwives' training to familiarize them with these technologies should be taken into account.
Keywords:
Midwife; Telehealth; Teleconsultation; Systematic review
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Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0