Scientific Activity on Telemedicine Applied to Obstetrics: A Bibliometric Study

Introduction: Telemedicine has emerged as a crucial support for the continuity of sexual and reproductive healthcare, especially in vulnerable contexts. Aim: To analyze the bibliometric characteristics and impact of scientific output related to telemedicine applied to obstetrics. Materials and methods: A descriptive observational study was conducted based on a bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in Scopus between 2019 and 2023. The MeSH terms and logical operators were used to identify 622 relevant articles. Review articles, conference papers, and other nonoriginal publications were excluded. Data were analyzed using SciVal and VOSviewer to estimate productivity, visibility, and impact. Results: The most productive journals were BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (12 articles) and Journal of Medical Internet Research (11 articles). Publications in Q1 and Q2 quartiles predominated, with a significant increase between 2021 and 2023. Harvard University was the institution with the most publications and citations. Most studies were national collaborations, although international collaborations showed higher impact per article. Conclusion: Scientific output on telemedicine in obstetrics has significantly increased, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. High-impact journals and institutions from high-income countries lead the field, reflecting a global gap in telemedicine research and implementation in low-and middle-income countries.