Page 29 - Shared Guideline Development Experiences in Fertility Care

resident working in a fertility clinic in two regions of the Netherlands (Nijmegen
and Amsterdam). Potential participants, Dutch speaking infertile couples who
reacted positively to the information letter, were contacted by telephone. A total
of 12 couples were contacted (E.M.E.D.B.) and all of them agreed to participate in
an interview. To increase the actual participation-rate and to put minimal pressure
on the participants (travel requisites, possible emotional burden of confrontation 2 with other patients), we conducted individual interviews of ~60 min at a location
preferred by the couples. e structure of the individual interviews was as follows: a er an explanation of the aim of the interview, namely to list key clinical issues to be addressed in a multidisciplinary guideline for fertility care and asking for participants’ characteristics, we asked them for their key clinical issues perceived across their own fertility care pathway. Summaries were sent to all participants for additions and veri cation. e inclusion of infertile couples was discontinued when saturation of data was achieved (no new emerging themes).
Focus group interviews among professionals
We performed two focus group interviews with professionals. e rst focus group consisted of a broad collaboration of mandated experts from di erent disciplines within the eld of fertility care that assembled the guideline development group, including a gynaecologist, urologist, GP, clinical embryologist, clinical psychologist, clinical chemist, an occupational physician and two board members of ‘Freya’, the Dutch infertility patients’ association. e focus group interview was performed during their rst guideline development meeting. To broaden the view on key clinical issues in fertility care, a second focus group interview was performed including eight main professional target users of the guideline: four GPs, three gynaecologists and one urologist. All these target users were proposed by their professional societies. An independent gynaecologist not involved in the development of the guideline moderated both interviews. A er an explanation of the aim of the interview, the focus group comprised both questions about participants’ characteristics such as age and the level of education and questions about their experienced key clinical issues across patients’ care pathway (from patients’ visit to a GP to a ercare and the transitions between these care phases). Both interviews lasted ~90 min. Written interview summaries were sent to all participants for additions and consensus.
Key clinical issues in fertility care
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