O-24: Support for Infertility Treatment in Japan: Differences in Perceptions between Female Clients and Staff

Background: Although the receipt of subsidies addresses only part of the issues faced by infertile couples, the subsidies and assistance, in the form of public support services, has given rise to questions whether are considered important and satisfying. We aimed to clarify the relationship between the assistance offered by local governments in Japan and the needs of infertile women. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study surveyed 62 local government staff members who managed medical expense subsidy programs for infertility treatment in the Hokuriku region of Japan and 84 infertile women attending the clinics. We measured the levels of satisfaction regarding the support services from local governments and the perceptions of the importance of each type of support. The data were analyzed descriptively and included factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. Results: To the question concerning their satisfaction with local government support services, 34% of the women and staff answered ‘dissatisfied’, whereas 12% of the women and 14% of the staff answered ‘satisfied’. Local governments’ support services were analyzed by using four factors: providing information, education and consultation, improving existing services, and improving access. The women scored providing information, improving existing services and improving access significantly higher than did the staff (p<0.001). Conclusion: By investigating the perceptions of the subsidies and assistance, in the form of public support services, from the point of view of both government staff and infertile women, we were able to construct a balanced evaluation. We provide the baseline data for clarifying the improvement plan for local governments to consider; therefore, the impact of the study’s results is quite high for the project’s operations and its continuity.