Subfertile couples' negative experiences with intrauterine insemination care

Abstract

Objective: To identify subfertile couples' experiences with specific aspects of intrauterine insemination (IUI) care and to determine which patient and hospital characteristics affect their experiences.

Design: Cross-sectional survey with written questionnaires.

Setting: One large tertiary hospital and nine medium-sized hospitals, including both teaching and nonteaching centers, in the southeast of the Netherlands.

Patient(s): One thousand seventy-nine subfertile couples who underwent IUI treatment between April 2000 and August 2002.

Result(s): The response rate was 71%. Many subfertile couples have had negative experiences with IUI care, particularly regarding the doctor's attitude and coordination of care. Among several patient and hospital characteristics that significantly predicted these negative experiences, the main predictors were no ongoing pregnancy and high education level.

Conclusion(s): From the perspective of subfertile couples, several aspects of IUI care are in serious need of improvement, particularly care aspects regarding the doctor's attitude and coordination of care. These findings are an important incentive for developing tailored interventions that address the reported deficits in IUI care to meet subfertile couples' needs better.