Fertility preservation: a pilot study to assess previsit patient knowledge quantitatively.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a quantitative assessment of patient knowledge about fertility and fertility preservation treatment options before the initial fertility preservation consultation at a university-based fertility preservation center.
DESIGN: Prospective pilot survey containing 13 items assessing patient knowledge about fertility preservation, including the available treatment options and their requirements, success rates, and associated risks.
SETTING: University-based IVF center. PATIENT(S): Women aged 18 to 41 years with illnesses requiring treatments posing a serious threat to future fertility who were referred for fertility preservation consultation between April 2009 and June 2010. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Knowledge score. RESULT(S): Forty-one eligible patients were identified, and all completed surveys before their consultation. A knowledge score was generated for each patient with 1 point awarded for each correct answer. Overall, patients had poor previsit fertility preservation knowledge (mean score 5.9±2.7). Higher knowledge scores were correlated with personal experience with infertility and previous exposure to fertility preservation treatment information. There was no correlation between knowledge score and age, relationship status, pregnancy history, education, or income. CONCLUSION(S): Patients seen for fertility preservation consultation at our university-based center generally tend to be in their early 30s, white, well educated, and married. Previsit knowledge about fertility preservation treatment options was poor and did not correlate with age, education, and relationship status.