Physicians and patients' motivations to perform elective single or double-embryo transfers: A nationwide survey

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate motivations to perform an elective single embryo transfer (e-SET).

Methods: Cross-sectional surveys to reproductive medicine specialists and to infertile patients undergoing assisted reproductive treatments.

Results: In the physician's survey (n = 278), we found that the main reasons for not offering e-SET were the physicians' belief that patients prefer optimizing the pregnancy rates regardless of the potential complications (57.1%). Regarding the decision making process, 76.7% of physicians thought that patients and doctors should make these decisions together and 93.3% would like to have a more formal decision-aid to help with counseling. In the patients' survey (n = 100), 21.3% chose e-SET, while 33% mentioned that complications associated to multiple pregnancies were insufficiently discussed. Among those patients, none chose to have e-SET, while 30% of those who had a full discussion selected e-SET (p = 0.05).

Conclusions: Most physicians did not offer e-SET based on potential patients' negative feelings. Also, almost 30% take important decisions without the patient's participation. Patients that discussed more thoroughly this topic, more frequently selected e-SET. Almost all the physicians surveyed agreed that decision-aids could help in this important shared-decision process.

Practice implications: Decision aids about e-SET vs DET are needed to help patients in the decision making process.

Keywords: Barriers; Multiple pregnancy; Preferences; Survey; e-SET.