Smart Phones: a Novel Tool in Providing Contraceptive Tele Care

Introduction: Since today smart phones play a key role in the exchange of information around the world without limitation of time and space, it is anticipated that their potentials can be exploited in teaching and providing contraceptive methods as well. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of smart phones in providing remote contraceptive care.Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on scientific data bases such as: PubMed, Web of Science, Springer Link and Research Gate with keywords: smart phones, tele care and contraceptive. The inclusion criteria were original research articles about designing and implementing mobile based applications to provide telecare services for contraception between2000-2019. Exclusion criteria were review articles, theses, letters to the editor, or articles outside of 2000-2019.Results : from 20 articles found, 9 articles were finally studied, which showed some of capabilities of smartphones in providing contraceptive services and preventing pregnancies such as: the correct selection of contraceptive methods in women by providing the necessary medical information on available methods, accurate prediction of the time of reproductive window time in women using the date of menstruation, Reminders for taking preventive pills, providing teleconsultation to women with a history of abortion to prevent future pregnancies, teaching contraceptive methods to adolescent groups in schools to raise their awareness, sending short messages to remind women starting their menstrual cycle and provide to remote population control services to women living in disadvantaged areas.Conclusion: Smartphones can play a key role in providing different types of contraceptive care. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt appropriate policies to further implement this technology in different fields of health and treatment, including contraception and population control.

Keywords:

smart phones , contraceptive , telecare.