Patient satisfaction with telemedicine and in-person visits in reproductive endocrinology and infertility clinics

Abstract

Is patient satisfaction higher with telemedicine visits or in-person visits for an initial consultation in the ambulatory fertility setting? A survey study of fertility patients who had an initial consultation visit between January 2018 and September 2022 was conducted using a nationally distributed survey. Patient satisfaction and other outcomes pertaining to patient experience were compared between telemedicine and in-person visits. In total, 682 participants completed the survey nationwide; of these, 425 respondents had an in-person visit and 257 respondents had a telemedicine visit. Age, geographic region, race, education level, employment status, income level and marital status did not differ between the groups. Overall, 69.6% of participants were satisfied with telemedicine visits, with improvement in partner participation. More patients were satisfied with in-person visits compared with telemedicine visits (82.6% versus 69.6%, P<0.001), and more patients preferred in-person visits to telemedicine visits regardless of the type of appointment they had for their initial visit. In a subgroup analysis of patients seen during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, patients who had telemedicine visits were younger, more likely to be White, more educated and had a higher income compared with patients who had in-person visits. Previously, the impact of telemedicine in the fertility setting was largely unknown. This study demonstrated that the majority of patients were satisfied with health care through telemedicine visits. However, patients were more satisfied with in-person visits, and preferred in-person visits to telemedicine visits. Further studies are needed to help clarify the differences in patient satisfaction with visit type, and to assess the role of telemedicine in future fertility care.