title: Variations in individual physician success rates within an in vitro fertilization program might be due to patient demographics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether there are variations in individual physician success rates in an IVF program, even with uniform laboratory and treatment protocols.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Boston IVF, a private practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients <38 and 38-40 years of age who underwent non-donor egg, fresh embryo transfer (ET).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of IVF success rates for Boston IVF for the year 1999, as reported to the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each individual physician's clinical pregnancy and live birth rates for patients aged <38 and 38-40 years for the year 1999. Pregnancy rates were also obtained for an "ideal patient group."
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 13 physicians, the clinical pregnancy rate in the <38-year age group ranged from 20.5% to 35.1% and the live birth rates from 17.8% to 31.1%. For the 38-40-year age group, the clinical pregnancy rate ranged from 10.6% to 29.8% and live birth rates from 7.0% to 25.5%. There was no statistical difference in the clinical pregnancy rate for the ideal patient group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the ideal patient group, in which patient demographics are uniform, there are no statistical differences in individual physician performance within the same IVF program. Variation exists in the success rates between the physicians in the <38- and 38-40-year age groups. Possibly this is owing to patient demographics.
authors.affiliation: Boston IVF, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. slalwani@wihri.org
authors.forename: Sasmira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lalwani
authors.forename: Lorna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Timmreck
authors.forename: Ronit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Penzias
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alper
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Reindollar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001723:Birth Rate; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D010361:Patients; D010820:Physicians; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome