Bearing Witness to Joy and Sorrow: Narrative Medicine and Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility (REI) Providers’ Journeys in Infertility Treatment

ABSTRACT

This study examines providers’ perceptions of provider-patient communication in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) practices. Grounded in narrative medicine, we interviewed six REI providers about their experiences providing fertility care. REI providers crafted a narrative of bearing witness by (1) situating personal and professional self in REI narratives, (2) sharing news as important medical moments, and (3) cultivating affiliation between provider and patient. These findings offer insight into the power of narrative medicine in fertility care, the role of emplotment in narrative sense-making, and the emotional labor associated with information delivery in REI treatments. We offer several recommendations for how patients and providers can improve communication experiences in REI.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.