Newly published research adds to the growing evidence about the use of remote consultations for women seeking abortions in Ireland and internationally.

The research published in the BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health journal reports findings from a project collecting data on GP-provided abortions in Ireland. It includes initial information on how GPs use telemedicine during consultations with women seeking abortions.

19% of the GPs who participated in the research provided “fully remote consultations” for the first abortion consultation, and another 48% used a mixed model of remote and in-person meetings for the first of two consultations.

This first consultation is meant to deal with issues such as clinical assessment, confirmation of gestational age, eligibility screening, and counselling. The fact that so many of them are increasingly not face-to-face meetings with a doctor is a very troubling trend.

The main focus of the second consultation, after the three-day period for reflection, is usually the administration of the abortion drugs and nothing more.

Among other things, the increased reliance on remote consultations doesn’t allow for ultrasound examination of the pregnant woman and her baby, leading to potential delays in detecting rare but very serious cases of ectopic pregnancy. A ruptured ectopic pregnancy is considered a medical emergency and the effects of abortion pills can make it harder to diagnose quickly, since the symptoms of pain and bleeding are similar. A report published in the Irish Medical Journal in 2024 revealed how a 24-year-old woman in Limerick, who had a medical abortion, nearly died due to the presence of an undetected ectopic pregnancy.

The Minister for Health and her predecessor have repeatedly stated in replies to parliamentary questions that abortion is provided by GPs generally through in-person or a combination of blended in-person and remote consultations. The replies have indicated that remote consultations are used for both the first and second visits only in “extenuating circumstances”.

The latest research provides greater clarity on how the “blended approach” is operating in practice. Far from being reassuring, it suggests that fully remote consultations are taking place much more frequently than previously indicated. The risks this poses to women, as well as to their unborn babies, cannot be overstated.