Health care users’ and pro-fessionals’ perspectives and experiences in fertility treatment in Switzerland – where do we stand and what do we need (HoPE).

Introduction: Infertility is a spreading phenomenon which is expected to gain further relevance, due to the ongoing trend to a higher age of primiparous women which has been observed in recent decades. From the age of 35 years, infertility increases because of the decreasing quality of the ovaries. Since 2019, fertility preservation has been a mandatory benefit of Swiss health insurance companies for patients with oncological diseases. This aspect together with a general trend towards an increased demand for consultations leads to a rising number of time intensive consultations in fertility clinics. Affected persons have special care needs in the context of fertility treatments, and nurses and midwives play a key role in the treatment process of patients and their families. Consequently, the subject described is also relevant to nursing science. Aim of the study: The planned study aims to collect and describe the perspectives, experiences, and needs of persons undergoing fertility treatment as well as professionals in this field (nurses, midwives, and physicians). Based on this, the current care situation in reproductive medicine will be discussed to formulate suggestions for adaptation. The implementing of a specialized nursing/midwifery role will be examined, and recommendations will be formulated. Methods: To comprehensively describe the present care situation and to identify adaptation needs, a mixed-methods research design will be applied, involving a scoping review, cross-sectional surveys, face-to-face qualitative interviews (individuals/couples), and focus groups (health care professionals). Relevance for research and practice: The study aims to identify challenges and gaps in a specific area of health care and helps to develop solutions and new concepts. The project sheds light on a patient group that receives rather little attention but is often considerably burdened. In addition, the project contributes to the promotion of interprofessional cooperation and should lead to an improvement in the quality of care