Search

ObjectiveTo assess attitudes and factors that influence public opinion in the general US population toward insurance coverage and provision of infertility care to lower income patients.DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingOnline.PatientsA nationally representative sample of US residents.InterventionsQuestionnaire with multiple choice and open response questions.Main outcome measuresPublic attitudes toward in vitro fertilization and infertility care coverage for lower income patients.ResultsA total of 1,027 (90.2%) participants completed the survey, among whom 620 (60.4%) had private insurance, 275 (26.8%) had Medicare/Medicaid, and 56 (5.5%) were uninsured. The majority (916, 89.2%) did not consider infertility a disease. Over half of the respondents (568, 55.3%) supported private insurance coverage of infertility services, including for in vitro fertilization. Most respondents, 735 (71.6%) believed that the prevalence and psychosocial impact of infertility were equal among the lower and higher income people. The majority of respondents with an opinion (512, 67.6%) believed that doctors should provide infertility treatments regardless of the income level of the patients. Of supporters, 40.1% believed in the right to have a family regardless of income, and 38.2% believed that doctors had a social responsibility to provide infertility services. After adjusting for covariates, age

Objective: To survey practice patterns designed to increase access to infertility care and evaluate the exposure of obstetrics and gynecology residents to infertility care for the underserved., Design: Cross-sectional., Setting: Reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) practices associated with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited obstetrics and gynecology residency training programs., Patients: None., Interventions: Questionnaire survey., Main Outcome Measures: Presence of clinical programs designed to improve access to REI care, resident involvement in such programs, and perceived barriers to expanding access to care., Results: Clinical initiatives to expand access included discounted infertility services (38%, n = 30), utilization of a low-cost in vitro fertilization (IVF) program (28%, n = 22), and utilization of a resident- and/or fellow-staffed clinic to provide infertility care (39%, n = 31). The most commonly discounted infertility services were IVF (73%, n = 22), clinical consultation (70%, n = 21), and intrauterine insemination (53%, n = 16). The provision of discounted prices was correlated with the increasing practice size (odds ratio [OR], 2.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-4.24) and number of assisted reproductive technology cycles performed annually (OR, 3.65; 95% CI, 1.48-9.02). Academic REI practices (OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 0.98-13.25) were more likely to have a low-cost IVF program. Less than half of obstetrics and gynecology residency programs (39%, n = 31) had an associated REI clinic in which obstetrics and gynecology residents provide direct infertility care to the medically underserved. Frequency and services offered in trainee clinics varied. Multiple barriers to expanding access to care were reported., Conclusions: Reproductive endocrinology and infertility practices associated with obstetrics and gynecology residency programs utilize a diverse range of approaches to provide infertility care to the underserved in the backdrop of considerable challenges and barriers, but significant gaps persist., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Objective: To provide a review of the current literature surrounding barriers to reproductive medicine and present examples of how resident and fellow education can be used to overcome these barriers., Design: A review of the relevant literature addressing barriers to reproductive medicine, resident and fellow education, and related materials was completed., Setting: Academic medical institutions., Patients: None., Interventions: None., Main Outcome Measures: Health disparities and barriers in access to care., Results: Of barriers in access to care, 3 were reviewed in detail: cost of health care, racial inequities, and marginalization of immigrant communities. The suggested strategies to mitigate these barriers include the following: reducing racial inequities through improved diversity within reproductive medicine and through antiracism training, developing opportunities for trainees to engage in advocacy, strengthening reproductive endocrinology and infertility clinical exposure and educational curricula in training programs, inclusion of residents and fellows in clinical care, and improving the accessibility of fertility care through implementing approaches to optimize the management of infertility in challenging, resource-constrained settings., Conclusions: Infertility is one of the most prevalent reproductive health diseases, yet profound disparities and inequities in access to care exist today in the United States. Lower-income, minority, and immigrant communities are among those most marginalized. Improved access to care begins with broadened obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility trainee education, which acknowledges the barriers these communities face and provides strategies to help overcome these obstacles to care., (© 2021 The Author(s).)