Thank you to the health center staff and the community leaders who are on the frontlines of this public health emergency. Upstream is working closely with our healthcare partners to support their continuing efforts to deliver contraceptive care during these unprecedented times. Reproductive healthcare is essential healthcare for all.
Over the next few weeks, Upstream will develop, provide and share resources from across the reproductive health field for our partners. For this first email, we’re focusing on telehealth for contraceptive care. As all public health organizations quickly adapt to protect patients and healthcare providers, one effective strategy endorsed by the CDC and many national professional health associations is to use telehealth to manage visits that don’t require an office visit.
Included below and on Upstream’s COVID-19 Response webpage are several new resources that can help your center make this transition to telehealth for birth control visits.
- Implementing Telehealth for Contraceptive Care
Not sure where to begin? Use this guide as a starting point in your journey to implementing telehealth services. We cover technology solutions, resources on billing and reimbursement, and workflow guidance. - Phone Staff Scripts
One simple way to ensure contraceptive access while minimizing in-person visits is to utilize your phone staff to screen for birth control needs. Here are several scenarios and specific language for conducting those conversations. - Contraceptive Telemedicine Service List
Due to competing priorities at this time, your health center may need extra support to ensure your patients have access to birth control. We’ve compiled this list of online services that deliver birth control to patients’ homes and/or pharmacies. Instruct your staff to save this resource in order to provide this information to patients as needed.
Additionally, here are several resources from organizations across the reproductive health field that specifically address telehealth-related contraceptive care:
- ACOG’s Clinical Guidance on COVID-19
- Family Planning National Training Center COVID-19 Toolkit
- Reproductive Health Access Project: COVID-19 Reproductive Health Care Resources
- UCSF Guidelines for Family Planning visits During COVID-19
Upstream is eager to be a resource and partner. We are all learning together and responding quickly to ensure patients are still able to access the contraceptive care they want on their own terms.
