Are consumers of modern fertility treatments satisfied?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent of patients satisfaction with fertility treatments, its antecedents, and its correlates. DESIGN: This is a two-wave correlational panel study in which consumer satisfaction was assessed 6 and 12 months after admission to the clinic. PATIENTS: The sample consisted of 385 couples who consulted the fertility clinic of a large metropolitan hospital. MEASURES: After their admission, patients completed scales measuring psychosocial disturbances. These variables were reassessed 6 and 12 months later along with a consumer satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: Patients were generally satisfied with modern fertility treatments. Approximately 10% of the sample expressed dissatisfaction with received services. Analyses revealed that consumer satisfaction was significantly related to poor psychosocial functioning at intake and after 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that consumers of fertility treatments are generally satisfied with the quality and quantity of service they received at the clinic. The more patients exhibited personal, marital, and social symptoms of distress when they were admitted to the clinic, the more they were likely to be later dissatisfied with fertility treatments.