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Healthcare (Basel). 2021 Nov 28;9(12). doi: 10.3390/healthcare9121649.

The Relationship between the Infertility Specialist and the Patient during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)

Diana Antonia Iordăchescu, Florinda Tinella Golu, Corina Ioana Paica, Adrian Gorbănescu, Anca Maria Panaitescu, Corina Gică, Gheorghe Peltecu, Nicolae Gică

Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest, 050653 Bucharest, Romania.
  2. Filantropia Clinical Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania.

PMID: 34946375 PMCID: PMC8702128 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9121649

Abstract

The doctor-patient relationship is fundamental in the treatment of infertility, due to the emotional implications of fertilization procedures. However, insufficient data are available specifically for this relationship. The general objective of the study is to establish the associations between the fundamental concepts that define the doctor-patient relationship: communication, empathy, trust, collaboration, compliance and satisfaction. A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and June 2020 and followed the methods of a quantitative analysis, collecting the data using questionnaires. The research plan was specific to path analysis with the mediation effect, in which the hypotheses were tested. The research group consisted of 151 women diagnosed with infertility, voluntarily recruited through online support communities. Findings demonstrate that affective empathy mediates the relationship between communication and trust in the doctor. In conclusion, this study draws attention to the importance of basic concepts in the relationship of infertility specialists with infertile patients. Thus, it is necessary for health care providers in assisted human reproduction to participate in programs for the continuous training of empathic communication skills, given the sensitivity of this diagnosis.

Keywords: communication; doctor–patient relationship; empathy; explanatory model; treatment compliance

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