Development and initial validation of a fertility experiences questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Medical Informatics
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Subfertility affects many women globally, yet understanding of chosen services and treatments remains limited.
• Retrospective data collection on fertility experiences is crucial for research and clinical insights.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a mixed-mode questionnaire for collecting retrospective data on fertility experiences.
• To assess the accuracy of the Fertility Experiences Questionnaire (FEQ) compared to medical records.

Main Methods:

• Developed a mixed-mode Fertility Experiences Questionnaire (FEQ) using literature review and pilot testing.
• Validated key FEQ elements against medical records in a sample of women from a specialized fertility treatment center.
• Collected data on time at risk for pregnancy, fertility treatments, pregnancy, time to pregnancy, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• The FEQ demonstrated high correlation with medical records for intrauterine insemination, assisted reproductive technology, pregnancy, and live birth histories.
• Patient self-report showed lower correlation for oral and injectable ovulation drugs compared to medical records.
• The FEQ achieved over 90% sensitivity in capturing fertility treatment history elements, except for injectable ovulation drugs (70% sensitivity).

Conclusions:

• The developed Fertility Experiences Questionnaire (FEQ) accurately captures fertility treatment history retrospectively, even 5-6 years after initial clinic visits.
• The FEQ is a reliable tool for collecting comprehensive fertility journey data, aiding research into subfertility treatments and outcomes.