Abortion in First TrimesterREACHNCT06787274
Research on Equity in Abortion Care by TeleHealth
An observational study of Abortion in First Trimester and Abortion Early, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will examine the ways in which telehealth for reproductive healthcare affects timing, costs, and follow-up care; whether telehealth reaches people in areas with greater health inequities; and the attributes of telehealth that patients want. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 14 to 64 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Abortion in First Trimester, Abortion Early, Abortion; Attempted
- How many people
- 2,000 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 12 Feb 2025to 31 Dec 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 14 to 64 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Study population: Participants who have recently received or are currently seeking medication abortion, either through in-person or telehealth services will be able to participate on this study. Up to 1,000 participants will be enrolled through established clinics that offer in-person and telehealth services (500 in-person clinic patients; 500 telehealth patients). Up to 1,000 participants will be enrolled online via Google Ads or other online outreach methods (500 in-person clinic patients and 500 telehealth patients).
Who may be able to join
- Must be currently or about to be obtaining medication abortion care through in-person or telehealth services
Who cannot join
- Not currently or about to be obtaining medication abortion care through in-person or telehealth services
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH)
Oakland, California, 94612
Jennifer Ko, MLIS, 415-353-9113, jennifer.ko@ucsf.edu
Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH
About this study
Official title: Improving Health Equity by Understanding Preferences in Telehealth Abortion
This study will examine the ways in which telehealth for reproductive healthcare affects timing, costs, and follow-up care; whether telehealth reaches people in areas with greater health inequities; and the attributes of telehealth that patients want. Study surveys will be administered to interested, eligible participants: 2,000 patients seeking abortion care will complete the study, comprising of 2 groups: patients seeking medication abortion care either (1) in-person or (2) via telehealth. This project will address how telehealth services can be optimized for people of color, low-income people, and immigrants to increase digital inclusion and health equity.
Read the detailed description
Given the novelty of telehealth abortion services and new abortion bans, there is a critical need for research on the role of telehealth for abortion to expand equitable abortion access among groups historically marginalized in healthcare. Outside of abortion care, telehealth appears to 1) bridge geographic disparities,2) facilitate language translation,3) provide privacy and safety for immigrants with varying legal statuses, 4) decrease patient costs, and 5) require less time off work or school. At the same time, telehealth services could exacerbate inequities if patients lack technology, internet connectivity, or digital literacy. Because abortion is overregulated and highly stigmatized, research on telehealth for abortion is vital. The investigators hypothesize that telehealth is associated with several benefits compared to in-person abortion care, but is not yet reaching people in areas with greater health inequities who need these innovations most. This research can also inform the policies in states that are considering ways to support people in banned states.
- Keywords
- health equity, medication abortion, telehealth
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| In-person via established clinic | People seeking or who have received in-person medication abortion care through an established clinic. | |
| Telehealth via established clinic | People seeking or who have received telehealth medication abortion care through an established clinic. A telehealth medication abortion involves a remote clinical consultation to confirm medical eligibility with medications delivered by mail | |
| Telehealth through other online services or searches | People seeking or who have received telehealth medication abortion care through an online service | |
| In-person through online search | People seeking or who have received in-person abortion services through online searches |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Determine the ways in which telehealth services affect timing and time to care by comparing in-person and telehealth patients
Descriptive statistics for the elapsed days from the first pregnancy test to 1) date of the decision to have an abortion, 2) date of first contact with the clinic, 3) date of medication receipt, and 4) date mifepristone (the first medication) was ingested.
Measured: Baseline
Determine the ways in which telehealth services affect costs by comparing in-person and telehealth patients
Report of 1) out-of-pocket costs for the abortion and 2) the costs of related expenses, including transportation, childcare, lost work, and other expenses.
Measured: Baseline and 1 week
Determine the ways in which telehealth services affect follow-up care by comparing in-person and telehealth patients
The incidence of unplanned in-person follow-up visits to a clinician, emergency room, or other facility, between participants in the telehealth and in-person groups using logistic regression models.
Measured: 1 week
Secondary outcomes (2)
Investigate the patient preferences for different aspects of telehealth for abortion care among historically marginalized groups
We will conduct a discrete choice analysis to understand participant preferred choices for hypothetical delivery alternatives to telehealth abortion.
Measured: Baseline and 1 week
Investigate the barriers in telehealth for abortion care in historically marginalized groups
The barriers to hypothetical delivery alternatives to telehealth abortion between participants in the telehealth and in-person groups using a discrete choice model
Measured: Baseline and 1 week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Jan 2025
- Study start12 Feb 2025
- Primary completion31 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Abortion in First TrimesterStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, San FranciscoThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 2,000 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San Francisco
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Ibis Reproductive Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH, Principal investigator, University of California, San Francisco
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06787274
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 23-39122
- Other IDs
- R01HD110659
- Acronym
- REACH
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Apr 2024
- Last updated
- 13 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Improving Health Equity by Understanding Preferences in Telehealth Abortion
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06787274
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- REACH / 23-39122
- Keywords
- health equity, medication abortion, telehealth
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 2,000 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San FranciscoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Ibis Reproductive Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
- Study start
- 12 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will examine the ways in which telehealth for reproductive healthcare affects timing, costs, and follow-up care; whether telehealth reaches people in areas with greater health inequities; and the attributes of telehealth that patients want. Study surveys will be administered to interested, eligible participants: 2,000 patients seeking abortion care will complete the study, comprising of 2 groups: patients seeking medication abortion care either (1) in-person or (2) via telehealth. This project will address how telehealth services can be optimized for people of color, low-income people, and immigrants to increase digital inclusion and health equity.
Detailed description
Given the novelty of telehealth abortion services and new abortion bans, there is a critical need for research on the role of telehealth for abortion to expand equitable abortion access among groups historically marginalized in healthcare. Outside of abortion care, telehealth appears to 1) bridge geographic disparities,2) facilitate language translation,3) provide privacy and safety for immigrants with varying legal statuses, 4) decrease patient costs, and 5) require less time off work or school. At the same time, telehealth services could exacerbate inequities if patients lack technology, internet connectivity, or digital literacy. Because abortion is overregulated and highly stigmatized, research on telehealth for abortion is vital. The investigators hypothesize that telehealth is associated with several benefits compared to in-person abortion care, but is not yet reaching people in areas with greater health inequities who need these innovations most. This research can also inform the policies in states that are considering ways to support people in banned states.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| In-person via established clinic | – | –People seeking or who have received in-person medication abortion care through an established clinic. |
| Telehealth via established clinic | – | –People seeking or who have received telehealth medication abortion care through an established clinic. A telehealth medication abortion involves a remote clinical consultation to confirm medical eligibility with medications delivered by mail |
| Telehealth through other online services or searches | – | –People seeking or who have received telehealth medication abortion care through an online service |
| In-person through online search | – | –People seeking or who have received in-person abortion services through online searches |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 14 to 64 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
- Study population
- Participants who have recently received or are currently seeking medication abortion, either through in-person or telehealth services will be able to participate on this study. Up to 1,000 participants will be enrolled through established clinics that offer in-person and telehealth services (500 in-person clinic patients; 500 telehealth patients). Up to 1,000 participants will be enrolled online via Google Ads or other online outreach methods (500 in-person clinic patients and 500 telehealth patients).
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Must be currently or about to be obtaining medication abortion care through in-person or telehealth services
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Not currently or about to be obtaining medication abortion care through in-person or telehealth services
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Determine the ways in which telehealth services affect timing and time to care by comparing in-person and telehealth patients
Time frame: Baseline
Descriptive statistics for the elapsed days from the first pregnancy test to 1) date of the decision to have an abortion, 2) date of first contact with the clinic, 3) date of medication receipt, and 4) date mifepristone (the first medication) was ingested.
Determine the ways in which telehealth services affect costs by comparing in-person and telehealth patients
Time frame: Baseline and 1 week
Report of 1) out-of-pocket costs for the abortion and 2) the costs of related expenses, including transportation, childcare, lost work, and other expenses.
Determine the ways in which telehealth services affect follow-up care by comparing in-person and telehealth patients
Time frame: 1 week
The incidence of unplanned in-person follow-up visits to a clinician, emergency room, or other facility, between participants in the telehealth and in-person groups using logistic regression models.
2 secondary outcomes
Investigate the patient preferences for different aspects of telehealth for abortion care among historically marginalized groups
Time frame: Baseline and 1 week
Investigate the barriers in telehealth for abortion care in historically marginalized groups
Time frame: Baseline and 1 week
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH principal investigator
University of California, San Francisco
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Abortion in First Trimester and Abortion Early, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH (415-353-4626, ushma.upadhyay@ucsf.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Determine the ways in which telehealth services affect timing and time to care by comparing in-person and telehealth patients (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Oct 2026.