Findings from the Reproductive Health Survey for England have revealed how women prefer to access contraceptive services.
Commissioned by the UK Government's Department for Health and Social Care and undertaken by researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) with Lancaster University, the Reproductive Health Survey for England, with almost 60,000 responses, is the largest of its kind to be undertaken in England.
Published in BJOG, the study "Preference for face-to-face contraceptive service delivery post-COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study", emphasises the importance of maintaining choice within contraceptive service delivery amid a digital shift in healthcare services.
Dr Sophie Patterson, clinical lecturer in Public Health at Lancaster University and lead author of the study, said: "To our knowledge, this study represents the broadest examination of preferences for mode of contraceptive service delivery in post-COVID-19 pandemic England."
The study revealed that:
- Hybrid services (combining telephone/video/website and face-to-face consultations) were most frequently reported (38%) as the preferred mode of contraceptive service delivery
- A quarter of participants preferred solely face-to-face contraceptive services.
- People living in financial hardship, those without a degree, and those living with a disability were more likely to prefer solely face-to-face contraceptive services.
Of the quarter of participants who preferred solely face-to-face contraceptive services, Dr Patterson said: "Despite being a minority, these participants may represent those who already face barriers to accessing contraception."
"A shift to digital healthcare is a central ambition within the 10-year plan for the NHS. Our findings highlight the importance of maintaining choice within contraceptive service delivery to advance equitable, person-centred reproductive healthcare."
Professor Rebecca French from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said: "While remote delivery of contraceptive services can provide people with quick and convenient access to support and care, this study highlights that a combination of both remote and face-to-face consultations should be provided to meet people's needs and preferences."
Dr Sue Mann, who is National Clinical Director in Women's Health at NHS England and Consultant and Clinical Lead for Women's Health at Homerton Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "As we move to optimise the use of digital healthcare, this study emphasises the importance of not making assumptions about what people want, and offering hybrid care that is responsive to different preferences."
