New Study Reveals Compassionate Care Emails Increase Fertility Patient Return Rates

Pioneering Research by Health Psychologist Dr. Alice D. Domar Sheds Light on the Power of Emotional Support in Healthcare

HOUSTON, Sept. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Inception Fertility™, North America's premier provider of comprehensive fertility and support services, today announced breakthrough findings from the Compassionate Care Study, which found that return rates among fertility patients increased significantly among those who received compassionate care emails after their initial consultations.

Led by health psychologist Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., Chief Compassion Officer at Inception and Director of the Inception Fertility Research Institute, who served as principal investigator, the Compassionate Care Study aimed to investigate why up to 50% of infertility patients do not return after their initial consult and how to better support them through their fertility journeys, including diagnostic workup and subsequent treatment.

About the Compassionate Care Study

The study included 958 fertility patients who had initial consultations but did not return for continued care. 657 of those participants were not sent a compassionate follow-up email, while 301 women were sent a compassionate email asking about their visits, reason(s) for not returning, offering support to continue with the next phase, and providing contact information if they want to pursue a return visit.
All participants were followed for 11 months.

The findings revealed that women who received the compassionate email were significantly more likely to return for care, with a 41% return rate compared to a 32% return rate for those who did not receive the email (p<0.0014).

This simple intervention highlights the critical role of compassionate care in the patient journey. These findings corroborate prior research by Dr. Domar, which demonstrated that a mailed stress management packet led to a 67% reduction in subsequent treatment termination and significant decreases in patient distress.

Inception's Commitment to Patient-Centered Care

"The significance of emotional support in healthcare settings, especially in infertility treatment, can't be overstated, considering that more people today are facing infertility and need quality care in order to build their families," says Dr. Domar. "Our study proves that even a simple compassionate email can greatly influence a patient's decision to continue treatment and move forward in their family building journeys."

The Compassionate Care Study reinforces Inception's ongoing commitment to patient-centered care and adds to a suite of resources designed to support patients. Examples include monthly free evening webinars by Dr. Domar, focusing on improving couples' communication, the impact of lifestyle habits on fertility, coping with pregnancy loss, and strategies for stress reduction, among other resources available through Inception's clinical network's patient portal, Prelude Connect.

"Inception applauds Dr. Domar's efforts to improve the emotional component of fertility care through science-based research that elevates the patient experience so more aspiring parents will feel that their emotional needs are just as supported as their physical ones," says TJ Farnsworth, Founder and CEO of Inception Fertility. "With this data, we can further implement thoughtful strategies that will enhance the support we strive to always give our patients."

The Inception Fertility Research Institute

With the largest number of current studies in North America focusing on improving the patient experience, enhancing patient-centered care, researching the relationship between stress and treatment outcome, and investigating the most effective stress-reduction strategies, the Inception Fertility Research Institute continues to be an industry leader.

To learn more about the Compassionate Care Study, please visit sciencedirect.com. To learn about active studies led by the Inception Research Institute, visit fertiltystudies.com.

About Inception Fertility™

Inception Fertility™ (Inception) is a family of fertility brands committed to helping patients build their own families. Built by patients for patients, Inception's purpose is to achieve the highest bar in experience, science and medicine in an effort to enhance each patient's experience and achieve better outcomes.

Inception's medical experts are leading pioneers in fertility care. Our doctors are some of the first to use breakthrough assisted reproductive technologies (ART) – including in vitro fertilization (IVF), preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and fertility preservation services – and they continue to lead the industry by building on these technologies by thorough development, research and thought leadership.

Through its growing family of national organizations – which includes The Prelude Network^®, the fastest-growing network of fertility clinics and largest provider of comprehensive fertility services in North America; Pathways Fertility, clinics that provide affordable, individualized and high quality care; MyEggBank^®, one of the largest frozen donor egg banks in North America; BUNDL Fertility™, a multi-cycle fertility service bundling program; HavenCryo™, a long-term reproductive preservation and storage solution provider and NutraBloom^®, a premium lifestyle brand with expertly formulated supplements to support individuals' health and wellness goals for preconception – Inception is working to deliver on its promise to push the envelope of what is possible for exceeding patient expectations.

CONTACT:
Mia Humphreys
239-297-6592
[email protected]

SOURCE Inception Fertility