Accelerating Access to Perinatal Care through Telehealth in Preventive Health Benefit Packages

Abstract

This research and development study aimed to explore the situation and develop, implement, and evaluate a Telehealth model to improve access to health promotion and disease prevention benefit packages in Health Region 2. The study was conducted in three phases: Phase 1 explored service accessibility among pregnant women and parents of children aged 0-5 years (n=14); Phase 2 developed and piloted a Telehealth model to improve access to health promotion and disease prevention among pregnant women and parents of children aged 0-5 years (n=27); And Phase 3 evaluated the Telehealth model from the perspective of the pregnant women and their spouses (n=6). Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires on rights awareness, intention to use services, and satisfaction, while qualitative data were obtained through focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests, while the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results for Phase 1 revealed that participants showed positive attitudes toward health services and emphasized the important role of community members, such as village health volunteers and teachers, in facilitating access. In Phase 2, the “MorAnamai” LINE application was developed. After implementation, rights awareness through Telehealth showed no statistically significant differences among pregnant women (p=.099) or parents (p=.700). However, the intention to use services increased significantly among both groups (pregnant women, p=.001; parents, p=.002). In Phase 3, the evaluation highlighted the importance of user behavior, local context, and community networks in Telehealth development. The Telehealth model developed in this study has potential to enhance access to health promotion and disease prevention benefit packages. It is recommended that the model be adapted for other target groups in accordance with specific contexts and needs, and continuously developed to ensure effectiveness and sustainability in improving access to health services.