Iowa Board Hears Challenge to Planned Parenthood Telemedicine Program

October 25, 2010 — During a public comment session before the Iowa Board of Medicine on Friday, abortion-rights opponents asked officials to halt Planned Parenthood of the Heartland's use of a telemedicine system to dispense abortion medication to patients in rural communities, the Des Moines Register reports. The board is considering changes to its telemedicine policy, which dates to the 1990s (Petroski, Des Moines Register, 10/23).

The telemedicine system allows Des Moines-based physicians to conduct video consultations with patients in rural clinics who are seeking abortion services and are no more than nine weeks pregnant. If a physician decides that a patient is an appropriate candidate for a medical abortion, he or she can use a computer command to remotely open a drawer in front of the patient. The patient removes the medication from the drawer and takes the first dose while the physician watches (Women's Health Policy Report, 8/23).

Abortion-rights opponents claim the system violates an Iowa law that states abortions must be performed by a physician. More than 1,500 women have used the system in the past two years.

At Friday's meeting, Iowa Right to Life Executive Director Jenifer Bowen presented the board with a petition that contained 3,900 signatures of people opposed to the use of telemedicine for abortion services. No one spoke in favor of continuing the practice.

Groups on both sides of the debate say criticism of the program is related to opposition to abortion rights, not telemedicine. Jill June, president of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, said the telemedicine program was thoroughly researched to ensure it meets all legal requirements (Des Moines Register, 10/23).