Connect with us

News

Study supports telehealth model for medication abortion

Participants perceived their primary care health system as the place to go for any pregnancy-related healthcare need, including abortion

Published

on

Women who had telemedicine access to a primary care provider and received a prescription for medication abortion described the experience as positive, new research has shown.

The study, published in the Annals of Family Medicine, analysed 14 people in a Massachusetts health system and found that women who had access to medication abortion pills via a trusted primary care provider had a more positive experience compared to those who had access to the pills through a clinic outside of their system.

Dr Emily Godfrey, the paper’s senior author and a family medicine and OB/GYN physician with UW Medicine in Seattle, said: “I think the big takeaway is that primary care can absolutely do telemedicine and provide medication abortion.”

Godfrey noted that because “no one expects to have an unplanned pregnancy,” the ability to navigate within a familiar healthcare system reduces the stress of seeking care.

When medication abortion is included among the services offered in primary care, it normalises abortion care within the healthcare system, she said.

Anna Fiastro, co-author and researcher at the UW School of Medicine’s department of family medicine, said: “Our study highlights that many patients were seen throughout prior pregnancies in their primary care system and appreciated being able to see the same doctors in the same system for their abortion care. It made them feel more comfortable with the process.”

The team interviewed 14 patients who had received a medication abortion prescription via telemedicine within a safety-net clinic and hospital health system between July 2020 and December 2021. The languages the patients spoke included English, Spanish and Portuguese.

According to the authors, participants reported receiving telemedicine medication abortion services in their primary care health system as acceptable, positive, and easy to use.

The women discussed how this method of service supported their ability to exercise control over their care, autonomy and flexibility with completing care while still managing their other responsibilities. They described fewer barriers than when accessing in-person clinic care, authors reported.

Many participants perceived their primary care health system as the place to go for any pregnancy-related healthcare need, the authors noted.

The patients also valued receiving abortion care from their established healthcare team even more within the context of their ongoing social and medical concerns.

Relatively few hospital systems in the US include abortion services within primary care. At the time of the study, Godfrey said only two US healthcare systems practiced this model.

She and the co-authors hope that other primary care systems will adopt the Massachusetts model to decrease silos of care, normalise abortion care as part of primary care and improve access to medication abortion.

The system in which the study was conducted has many patients who identify as immigrants. Among them 42 per cent have limited English proficiency requiring professional medical interpretation in over 60 languages and the majority hold public or subsidised insurance.

Both Godfrey and Fiastro stressed that this recommendation is being made to states where telemedicine, abortion medications, and abortion remain legal. Currently such a care delivery model is operating at UW Medicine, which began its telemedicine-medication abortion services in June.

The authors acknowledged that the study size was small and encouraged a larger, more diverse study to look at the socioeconomics and demographics of women seeking telemedicine medication abortion.

To receive the Femtech World newsletter, sign up here.

Hormonal health

Medichecks acquires My Menopause Centre to expand specialist hormone health services

Published

on

Digital diagnostics company Medichecks has acquired specialist menopause health platform and clinic My Menopause Centre.

The deal is part of Medichecks’ move into clinical services and follows its earlier purchase of Leger Clinic, creating what the company describes as a hormone health offering for women and men across the UK.

Medichecks and My Menopause Centre will combine digital services with clinical governance. The acquisition aims to enhance Medichecks’ ability to deliver integrated testing, diagnosis and ongoing clinical support.

The combined group plans to grow its specialist hormone health services, supporting patients across the UK with clinical care throughout different stages of their hormone health journey.

Helen Marsden, co-founder of Medichecks, said: “At Medichecks, our mission is to make healthcare more accessible, evidence-based and patient-centred.

“Helen and Clare have built an outstanding, clinically credible platform that is transforming menopause care for women across the UK.

“Medichecks now owns two CQC Outstanding-rated clinics, the only clinics in their respective sectors to achieve this rating, and we are deeply committed to delivering safe, compassionate and patient-centric care.

“We’re proud to continue the founders’ legacy while supporting the next stage of growth, ensuring more women can access high-quality menopause care when they need it most.”

The CQC, or Care Quality Commission, is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

The acquisition supports Medichecks’ plans to make hormone healthcare more accessible by delivering integrated testing, diagnosis and ongoing clinical support for patients across the UK.

Helen Normoyle, co-founder and chief executive of My Menopause Centre, said: “We set out to build something resilient, clinically credible and scalable, not just fast.

“Our mission has always been to make menopause care compassionate, accessible and grounded in evidence. Medichecks shares that vision.

“Their digital platform, commitment to clinical excellence and patient-centred care make them the ideal partner to take My Menopause Centre into its next chapter.

“This milestone reflects not only a strong product, but a remarkable team and community.

“I’m deeply proud of what we’ve built and excited to see My Menopause Centre grow further under Medichecks’ leadership.”

Continue Reading

Menopause

Menopause specialist Haver joins Midi Health

Published

on

Menopause specialist Dr Mary Claire Haver has been appointed as the first chief agewell officer at virtual care clinic Midi Health.

In the role, Dr Haver will work with Midi’s clinical team to develop the AgeWell platform, described as a proactive health model that integrates perimenopause and menopausal care with metabolic health, bone density, brain health and cardiovascular risk assessment.

The platform aims to provide preventative care targeting what the company describes as the primary drivers of female mortality and disability: heart disease, bone loss and cognitive decline.

Joanna Strober, chief executive and co-founder of Midi Health, said: “Longevity care has historically ignored women’s biology, especially during the critical windows of midlife and menopause.

“At Midi Health, we are committed to extending healthspan, not just lifespan, and making that care accessible to millions of women as a core pillar of their health.

“By collaborating with Dr Haver, we are ensuring women continue to have access to care designed for their bodies, their hormones, and their real lives.”

Dr Haver is board-certified in obstetrics and gynaecology, a Menopause Society certified practitioner, a certified culinary medicine specialist and an adjunct associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at The University of Texas Medical Branch.

After a career in academic medicine, Dr Haver founded The Pause Life, described as a science and education-based resource for women navigating perimenopause and the menopause transition.

Through her books, unPaused podcast and digital platform, she has provided education on midlife health.

Dr Mary Claire Haver said: “I have spent my career advocating for women to receive the science-backed, no-nonsense guidance they deserve.

“I chose to partner with Midi Health because they are the only platform with the scale and medical rigour to deliver the kind of care women deserve, regardless of their zip codes.

“Together, we are setting a new standard for proactive, preventative care that meaningfully extends both lifespan and healthspan for women.”

Continue Reading

Entrepreneur

Kate Ryder headlines Women’s Health Week USA 2026 as full agenda goes live

Published

on

Women’s Health Week USA 2026 has unveiled its first populated agenda, anchored by an opening keynote from Kate Ryder, Founder and CEO of Maven Clinic, and featuring a cross-sector lineup shaping the next phase of scale in women’s health.

You can view the full agenda here.

Taking place May 13–14, 2026, at the New York Academy of Medicine, Women’s Health Week USA brings together the full women’s health ecosystem to focus on one central question: what does it take to move women’s health from innovation to institutional scale?

Kate Ryder will open Day 1 with a keynote drawing on her experience building Maven Clinic into the world’s largest virtual clinic for women’s and family health.

Under her leadership, Maven has partnered with employers and health plans to deliver care across fertility, maternity, postpartum, paediatrics, and menopause at scale.

Her perspective sets the tone for a program centered on commercialisation, partnership, and sustainable growth.

Beyond the opening keynote, the newly released agenda reflects the sector’s growing maturity.

Across two days, the program features 70+ speakers, with representation from leading organizations including the FDA, Planned Parenthood, CVS Health Ventures, Samsung Next, NIH, WHO, and Maven Clinic.

Sessions span investment and deal flow, clinical innovation, regulation, data and technology, and market expansion, alongside dedicated pitch sessions and curated 1:1 matchmaking designed to turn insight into action.

The agenda has been built to facilitate meaningful connections across the ecosystem, with partnerships positioned as the primary driver of scale.

As women’s health continues to attract institutional capital and global attention, Women’s Health Week USA 2026 offers a clear snapshot of where the market is heading, and who is shaping it.

The full agenda is now live, with additional speakers and partners to be announced in the coming months.

View the full programme here.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025 Aspect Health Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved.