Patients’ Perception of Patient–Provider Communication in Fertility Preservation Decision Making Among Young Women With Cancer

Abstract

Fertility preservation (FP) for patients with cancer is an emerging field. With the advancement of technology, patients may face a complex decision-making process about whether to preserve fertility. The purpose of this article is to explore how young women with cancer perceive patient–provider communication in FP decision making. In this study, 25 women between the ages of 18 and 39 were interviewed retrospectively. They were interviewed one time to learn about their decision-making process related to FP. Results of this analysis indicate that patients seek support and involvement from providers throughout the process of decision making. They prefer providers to be directive when referring to the fertility clinic. Later in the process, they expect a supportive style of communication from providers. Patient-accessible language, supportive and reassuring styles of communication, and an existing relationship with providers may enhance well-being of the patients.

Medical egg freezing: How cost and lack of insurance cover impact women and their families

“…Studies of MEF, especially among cancer patients, report numerous current barriers to access. These include inadequate presentation of fertility-related information to patients ( Banerjee and Tsiapali, 2016 , Corney and Swinglehurst, 2013 , Vindrola-Padros et al, 2017 ), lack of available MEF specialists to whom referrals can be made easily ( Kim and Mersereau, 2015 , Louwe et al, 2016 , Srikanthan et al, 2016 ), and patient–provider communication issues ( Louwe et al, 2016 ), which include physicians' own discomfort in discussing future fertility, especially when time is of the essence ( Ben-Aharon et al, 2016 , Benedict et al, 2015 , Mathur et al, 2013 , Moore, 2017 , Quinn et al, 2008 , Quinn et al, 2009 ; Vindrola-Padros et al, 2017 ). In an overview of barriers to fertility preservation among cancer patients, both intrinsic factors (i.e.…”

Medical egg freezing: the importance of a patient-centered approach to fertility preservation

“…Despite increasing provision of MEF over the past 5 years for both cancer patients and those with other fertilitythreatening conditions, a range of studies demonstrates the ongoing challenges women are facing. These include the inadequate presentation of information about fertility and MEF [6,8,9], lack of timely and direct referral to IVF clinics [10][11][12], and patient-provider communication issues [11], particularly physician uncertainty about the success of MEF and their discomfort in raising future fertility among women who are facing the threat of death [5,9,[13][14][15][16]. In a recent overview of these barriers to fertility preservation among cancer patients, both intrinsic factors (i.e., patients' attitudes and health literacy, clinicians' approaches and skills, doctorpatient relationships) and extrinsic factors (i.e., fertility preservation resources, institutional characteristics) were found to influence patients' and healthcare professionals' decisionmaking at the time of cancer diagnosis [17].…”

Oncofertility awareness among primary care physicians in India

“…As PCPs have a continual relationship with the patients and are more familiar with their wishes, PCPs can be a part of the FP referrals or discussions, to enable patients to think through their decisions, rather than these discussions taking place only with the oncologists or surgeons. [23][24][25] For this to succeed however, knowledge dissemination and awareness building of fertility preservation among PCPs in developing countries like India is essential, as emphasized by the findings of the present study. Our earlier study specifically looked at oncologists and gynaecologists' attitude towards fertility preservation, who also emphasized the need for oncofertility awareness.…”