A Study on Patient Contact Protocol

The disposition of embryos and continued contact with the patient is a significant issue within the embryo storage community. Recently a study was published in the Journal of Fertilization: In Vitro, IVF Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, which focused on one program’s experience with contacting patients about embryos in storage. The goal of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of one program’s disposition protocol. This policy begins at the initiation of the first cycle and includes verbal and written consent with the knowledge that they will be contacted annually and are to make a decision within 30 days of receiving the letter. The study, which focused on the Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) ART program, revealed that even with clear guidance and informed consent of patients, following up with them in regards to the disposition of their frozen embryos was a challenge. Getting in contact with patients proved difficult in even the first year of storage. For 26.7% of patients, more than one letter was required to obtain a response from patients and that percentage grew the longer the embryos were in storage. Of those groups, nearly 14% of patients with embryos at 1 year post freeze never made final disposition decisions, resulting in considerable time and effort on the part of the clinic staff. For patients dealing with these tough decisions, ReproTech is here to help. We are equipped to handle the long-term storage of embryos in a secure facility. At ReproTech, storage is all we do, and we’ve been the industry leader in long-term reproductive tissue storage for 25 years. We offer safe, cost effective long-term storage so patients can take the time to make the right decision for themselves. To read the study, click here.