title: Patient dropout in an assisted reproductive technology program: implications for pregnancy rates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study patient dropout and its impact on crude and cumulative pregnancy rates (PRs) after assisted reproductive technology (ART).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital-based tertiary care fertility clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred two couples applying for their first ART treatment cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Drop-out rate and PR per cycle, cumulative drop-out rate and cumulative PR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After three treatment cycles, the cumulative drop-out rate was 126 of 202 (62.4%); 13.9% (n = 28) was due to active censoring. Active censoring was shown to flatter cumulative PRs by life-table analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dropout from ART is high, even when ART costs are covered by health cost insurance. Life-table analysis overestimates cumulative PRs in ART.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Academisch Ziekenhuis Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Land
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Courtar
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Evers
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D015993:Life Tables; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D012099:Reproductive Techniques / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome