Inm-1: Development of Quality Indicators for Infertility Care

Background As assisted reproductive technology is advancing, it should arrange all principles and indexes to improve its quality of functions to provide optimal services to infertile patients. There are few infertility care-specific quality indicators. The indicators were developed by the existing quality dimensions. Safety, effectiveness, and patient centeredness are the most important quality dimensions. One study covered six dimensions, including efficacy, timeliness, and equity in addition to three important dimensions mentioned. They assessed six dimensions by both professionals and infertile patients using a three-round iterative Delphi survey. Participants developed 24 indicators for all six dimensions. Another study examined only patient centeredness using the Delphi method and evaluated and added indicators from patients’ perspectives rather than professionals, who did not adequately evaluate the indicators. In all studies, the existing dimensions and indicators are only applicable in infertility clinics. There is no guideline based indicators for monitoring and evaluating all departments of infertility care centers, such as laboratory, etc. There is also no enough effort to provide adequate criteria in Iran. Hence, we used all dimensions and indicators existed during recent years to assemble a primary questionnaire. We send the questionnaire to all professionals in this field to make a comprehensive standard questionnaire using three round Delphi infertility centers. It seems there are a lot of different opinions in whole content required deep analyses with nominal group of specialists to prepare for the final widespread implementation. It could help all quality managers to monitor their performance as well as accurate possible complications to evaluate effects. MaterialsAndMethods N;Results N;Conclusion N;