Abstract
An outpatient service in which an embryologist provides information was started at our clinic. Eighty-five patients visiting our clinic were asked to complete a questionnaire on 1) patient’s status, 2) age, number of oocyte retrievals and number of outpatient visits, 3) time for consultation, 4) questions asked by the patient, 5) understanding of information, and 6) satisfaction with responses to requests. The results were as follows; 1) 56.7%, 41.7% and 1.7% of the patients were wife only, husband and wife, and husband only, respectively; 2) average age of the wives was 37.6 years, average number of oocyte retrievals was 3.7 and average number of outpatient visits was 1.1; 3) average times for consultation were 41.3 min, 41.7 min and 20 min for wife only, husband and wife, and husband only, respectively; 4) questions on fertilized ova, future treatment, past treatment, and semen findings were asked by 43.1%, 17.6%, 9.8% and 9.8% of the patients, respectively; 5) all of the patients understood well or fairly well; and 6) responses were sufficient, reasonably sufficient and insufficient for 73.3%, 23.3% and 3.3% of the patients, respectively. Services providing information by embryologists are good opportunities for embryologists to understand patients’ feelings.
