Abortion via telemedicine in New York: how the abortion system works without a visit to the doctor

In October 2023, New York City's public hospital system, NYC Health + Hospitals, began providing abortion services via telemedicine. This is the first such project in America. In the first 4 months of operation, 870 people applied for this service. After telephone or online consultations, doctors mailed 230 abortion kits and referred 360 patients for in-person examination. The average wait time for a virtual consultation is less than 5 minutes.

Telemedicine abortions are provided through ExpressCare. This service is available 7 days a week, from 9:00 to 21:00. It provides patients with access to safe and legal abortion care.

After the call (by phone or online), the patient is connected with a licensed healthcare professional who evaluates the woman's condition. He asks questions to determine her general health, estimated gestational age, and other important parameters for abortion. After this, if the doctor does not see potential threats to the woman’s health, she is sent a set of medications to terminate the pregnancy (misoprostol and mifepristone) with instructions for taking them. Then a follow-up call is scheduled to monitor the effectiveness of the procedure, and if necessary, the patient may be asked to come for an ultrasound.

ExpressCare services are available in more than 200 languages. Access to telemedicine abortion in New York can be found at expresscare.nyc or call 1-718-360-8981. Details of the program in Russian – here.

Medical abortion via telemedicine is legal in New York City, but is available to people living in any state. In this case, the patient must be in New York at the time of the telephone consultation with the doctor and while taking pills for medical abortion. The medications are mailed only to addresses in New York City and are available to patients up to 10 weeks pregnant unless a contraindication is identified by the physician during consultation.

In addition, NYC Health + Hospitals offers access to a full range of medications and procedural abortion services. Patients wishing to make an in-person appointment for obstetrics and gynecology services, including abortion, should call (844) NYC-4NYC.

In addition to abortion care, ExpressCare telehealth provides immediate and confidential care for a range of health issues, including COVID-19, minor injuries, influenza, upper respiratory tract infections, anxiety, depression and substance use issues. These services on ExpressCare are available 7 hours a day, 365 days a week, XNUMX days a year to all New Yorkers. Call 631-EXP-Care (631-397-2273) or contact your doctor via the website.