title: Data collection systems in ART must follow the pace of change in clinical practice.
abstract: In assisted reproductive technology (ART), quality control necessitates the collection of outcome data and occurring complications. Traditional quality assurance is based on data derived from single ART centres and more recently from national registries, both recording outcome parameters during well-defined observation periods. Nowadays, ART is moving towards much more diverse approaches, with sequential activities including short- or long-term freezing of gametes, gonadal tissues and embryos, and cross-border reproductive care. Hence, long-term cumulative treatment rates and an international approach are becoming a necessity. We suggest the initiation of an easy access European Reproductive Coding System, through which each ART recipient is allocated a unique reproductive care code. This code would identify individuals (and reproductive material) during case to case data reporting to national ART data collecting institutions and to a central European ART monitoring agency. For confidentiality reasons, the identity of the individuals should remain with the local ART provider. This way, cumulative and fully reliable reproductive outcome data can be constructed with follow-up over prolonged time periods.
authors: Clinic of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Christian.DeGeyter@usb.ch.
authors: Ch
authors: Ch
authors: De Geyter
authors: Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, UCL , Brussels, Belgium.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Wyns
authors: RCSI Unit, Rotunda Hospital , Dublin, Ireland.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Mocanu
authors: INSERM , Paris, France.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: de Mouzon
authors: Departamento de Obstetricia, Ginecologia e Medicina da Reprodução, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Calhaz-Jorge
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057193:Medical Tourism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*
keywords: assisted reproduction; data collection; delivery rate; elective single embryo transfer; epidemiology; neonatal health; pregnancy rate; quality assurance; safety; vigilance