Page 11 - FSANZ Autumn 21 Volume 95 Amended

Expert input to the new on-line resource
The FSANZ’s IVF Directors’ Group (IVFDG) provided leadership in the development of the Your IVF Success website, which aims to provide a new, accessible and independent information resource for couples seeking guidance about IVF as a way to address their infertility.
IVFDG membership comprises the Medical Directors of all Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC) licensed clinics in Australia and New Zealand.
All clinics providing assisted reproductive treatment in Australia, including IVF, are required by Commonwealth and State laws to be licensed by RTAC and they must comply with the strict standards of the RTAC Code of Practice.
This ensures that Australian patients have access to a standard of care equal to the best in the world with affordability of treatment supported by Medicare arrangements.
Infertility is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a global health issue. Since the first IVF birth in Australia in 1980, nearly 300,000 babies have been born to Australian parents who have accessed IVF.
IVFDG Chair, Dr David Molloy, said five Medical Directors were on the working party to develop and launch the Your IVF Success website and the group also provided secretariat services.
“Participation rate by units was 93 per cent and the IVFDG had significant input into the design of the website,” he said.
“The website will provide contact details of all licensed clinics in Australia that provide IVF treatments. It will display data in graphic form to inform couples about each clinic’s treatment outcomes in 2017. The website will also provide a calculator that can help people compare their prospects of having a successful IVF treatment using a statistically based model.
“It is important to acknowledge that statistical results for clinics published on the website are not definitive or the only measures of the quality and efficacy of care provided by a clinic.
“Treatment outcomes can vary significantly between clinics based on the characteristics of the patient group that access their services. Clinic outcomes can also vary significantly from year to year.
“Statistical assessments of a couple’s chances are of interest, but will not offer a proper medical assessment that should be made by their doctor or fertility specialist.
“The website does provide information in a new form to identify clinics where people may wish to access services. It will also assist people to ask clinics questions that enable them to make informed decisions based on this newly presented information.
“There are many sources of information available about IVF treatments, and people experiencing infertility are encouraged to access these resources in conjunction with the Your IVF Success website.
“The website is a developing resource and will be updated and improved each year on the basis of patient feedback, an
David Molloy
Support to ensure Australian couples experiencing infertility continue to have world leading, affordable access to safe and efficacious fertility treatments
assessment of the value of the information and annually refreshed data. More fields of information may be provided as part of this updating.
“The website is not a substitute for a medical assessment and examination by a doctor or fertility specialist who is able to provide patients with more accurate assessment of the applicability of IVF treatment utilising the latest diagnostic techniques, including pathology and imaging.
“However, the IVFDG welcomes the initiative of the Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, and Senator Stirling Griff in launching the Your IVF Success website and their support to ensure that Australian couples experiencing infertility continue to have world leading, affordable access to safe and efficacious fertility treatments.”
Editor’s Note: The original article has been changed. The statement that Australian ART units are ISO accredited was removed. While certain units may have some ISO certification, not all units do and it is not an RTAC accreditation requirement.
9