TITLE:
Support from Healthcare Professionals for Couples/Partners Undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology in Japan: A Literature Review
AUTHORS:
Mikio Watanabe, Naohiro Hohashi
KEYWORDS:
Assisted Reproductive Technology, Infertility, Family Support, Family Care/Caring Theory, Literature Review
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.13 No.12,
December
21,
2023
ABSTRACT: Background and Purpose: A growing number of couples/partners have been undergoing assisted
reproductive technology (ART) in Japan. The purpose of this study was to
clarify the support from healthcare professionals based on the support vectors
in the Family Care/Caring Theory proposed by Hohashi (2015) through a literature review. Methods: Using Ichushi-Web,
we searched for original articles using the
keywords “assisted reproductive technology”, “infertility”, “family”, “couple”, “nursing”, “care”, and “support”.
Thirteen articles suitable for the
purpose of this study were subjected to content analysis. Family support was
encoded and grouped into subcategories and categories, and classified according
to support vectors. Results: A total of 21 categories of support from
healthcare professionals was extracted. Intervention for family internal
environment included seven categories, such as “Nursing professionals stay close to females”. Intervention for family
system unit included five
categories, such as “Nursing professionals adjust couple/partner relationships”. Intervention for micro system only included “Nursing
professionals provide opportunities for peer support to the couples/partners”
and intervention for macro system only included “Nursing professionals
encourage medical doctors to relate to females”. Intervention for family chrono
environment included seven
categories, such as “Healthcare professionals resolve female’s anxieties”. Conclusion: The support from healthcare professionals could be organized by the support
vectors of Family Care/Caring Theory, but intervention for supra system
(culture, religion, etc.) was lacking. Moreover, because most support was
directed toward females or couples/partners, male-focused direct and/or
indirect support are also needed.