Offering sexual health information services via phone, online chat, and email allows a helpline to serve a diverse public, with online chat being the most popular channel yet usage and satisfaction high across all channels, indicating effective user choice.
Online chat was the most frequently used channel of the Dutch STI Sex Information Helpline in 2018.
User satisfaction was equally high across all three communication channels (telephone, email, and online chat).
Channel selection by clients depended on background characteristics, content of the help request, and personal preferences and needs.
Nurses who participated in the online chat-service assessed their participation as an added value to their work in the clinics and endorsed the importance of national cooperation.
Online chat consumes a considerable amount of professionals' time, requiring an efficient strategy for offering the three channels coherently.
A multi-channel helpline approach extends reach and enhances accessibility of public sexual health care through its connecting role.
This research examined how a Dutch sexual health helpline operates across three different communication channels — telephone, email, and online chat — to understand who uses each channel, why, and how satisfied users are. The study analyzed over 17,500 contact records from 2018 and surveyed nearly 500 clients about their satisfaction, as well as 35 nurses who staff the chat service. The helpline originally focused on HIV and AIDS phone support but has grown to cover nearly all sexual and reproductive health topics and added email and chat services over time. The research found that online chat was the most commonly used channel, but all three channels remained in significant demand. Importantly, users rated all three channels equally positively, suggesting that each channel effectively meets the needs of the people who choose it. Who uses which channel appears to depend on the person's background, what kind of question they have, and their own preferences — meaning different channels genuinely serve different needs rather than one simply replacing another. Nurses who staffed the chat service also reported that doing so added value to their regular clinical work. This research suggests that sexual health helplines can better serve a wider and more diverse population by offering multiple communication channels rather than focusing on just one. However, it also highlights a practical challenge: online chat takes up significantly more staff time than other channels, so organizations need a thoughtful strategy to manage all three channels efficiently. The findings may be relevant to other public health information services considering how to expand their reach while managing limited professional resources.
Zimbile F, Mientjes M, David S, Crutzen R. (2025). Combining telephone and online channels: Experiences of the Dutch STI sex information helpline.. Patient education and counseling. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2025.108728