Quality of life of infertile couples in the public health sector in Chile Calidad de vida de parejas infértiles en el sector público de Chile

Abstract

© 2018, Sociedad Medica de Santiago. All rights reserved. Background: It is widely known that infertility and its treatment have a negative impact on patients´ well-being, yet not much is known about patients´ satisfaction with the quality of reproductive care. Purpose: To assess the quality of life (QoL) of patients receiving medical care under the Chilean public health system. Materials and Methods: The FertiQoL international questionnaire was applied to 260 patients (both sexes) referred from rural and urban areas to undergo in vitro fertilization at a major university public hospital. FertiQol evaluates QoL as a product of psychosocial well-being and treatment experience. Demographic and reproductive data were collected. Results: QoL due to treatment factors was significantly lower than psychosocial well-being. Couples from lower-density areas showed markedly worse medical satisfaction than patients treated in Chile´s capital. No effects on QoL were observed as a function of age, e