Patient centered infertility care: The health care provider’s perspective

Abstract

Patient centered infertility care: The health care provider' s perspective Cover Page Footnote The authors would like to thank the clinic staff for their participation in the questionnaire, as well as, the original authors of the questionnaire, IWH van Empel, JWM Aarts, BJ Cohlen, et al. for allowing us to adapt and implement their validated tool in our clinic. Abstract This study describes what health care providers as HCPs' self-evaluation in provision of patient centered infertility care (PCIC). Infertility (PCQ-I) was administered to all clinic staff and completed by approximately 60%. Mean deviations were calculated for each dimension as well as for the global score. HCPs ranked staff communication highest of the dimensions and accessibility of care Degree of variance within scoring was used as a marker of consistency of assessment. Ranking of staff competence was the most uniform and ranking of accessibility the most varied, suggesting HCPs are confident in assessing patients' perceptions of competence, but not with respect to accessibility. Staff communication was thought to be the most important dimension of PCIC for patients, based on the correlation with global score, while care organization was thought to be the least important, showing the to describe North American HCPs' perceptions of PCIC. This information will inform further professional development in provision of quality PCIC.