Innovation in Reproductive Medicine: Key Takeaways from ASRM (2019) and Beyond
We met hundreds of IVF professionals in person to discuss the hands on training programs for IVF nurses, embryologists and andrologists provided by EmbryoDirector / IVF Training Academy, complimentary competency assessments, and real time KPI tracking from ART Compass.
- Key Performance Indicators are King!
When carefully chosen, Key Performance Indicators (#KPI) can give lab managers a bird’s eye view of internal and external factors affecting laboratory performance.
Identified by ASRM 2018 as an educational need, a quality control program in the #IVF lab is crucial for assuring the delivery of optimal patient care and trouble shooting when outcomes are less than optimal.
ASRM 2019 presented a standing-room only interactive KPI session featuring Drs. Amy Sparks, Dean Morbeck, and Alison Bartolucci.
ART Compass is a free tool available to lab directors to track their own KPIs.
ART Compass tracks key performance indicators that can aid with trouble-shooting.
Additionally, data were presented on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for KPI monitoring;
- As a key performance indicator (KPI) for monitoring the performance of human embryo culture systems,
- To monitor individual embryologists performing ICSI in a clinical setting;
2. Innovation was in the spotlight, but our history is cherished.
Innovations in artificial intelligence predominated;
- Predicting if a human embryo will miscarry and general IVF success (Rishabh et al., Mesegeur et al.,)
- Embryo development and selection (Kanakasabapathy et al., Bortoletto et al., Hariton et al., Mesegeur et al., Coticchio et al.,),
- Reducing the frequency of embryo mosaicism (Wilcox et al.),
- Non-invasive detection of chromosomal abnormalities / PGT–A results (VerMilyea et al.)
- Sperm assessment (Thirumalaraju et al.,), normal fertilization (Dimitriadis et al.).
Our present is grounded in the past, and as part of the 75th ASRM Birthday celebration, Fertility and Sterility published a review and commentary on 25 groundbreaking works in human reproduction.
3. Braver New World: Oocyte Maturation, Artificial Embryos, and IVG.
- At #ASRM2019 In vitro activation and maturation of oocytes were hot topics: (Goldman et al., Tejera et al., Schlencker et al., Son et al. Rose et al., Hernandez-Nieto et al., Kile et al.)
- In vitro gametogenesis (IVG), raises the possibility that embryos can one day be made using muscle or liver or blood cells and genetic parenthood established for a solo parent, multiplex parenting, same-sex reproduction and more. Bioengineering reproductive tissues and hormones remain fascinating possibilities.
- Dr Jianping Fu and colleagues at the University of Michigan recently coaxed human stem cells to make structures that mimic early embryos. Their novel microfluidic system produces embryo-like structures, known as synthetic human entities with embryo-like features (SHEEFs) with a primitive streak — one of the least understood events in early human development.
- Li et al. reported that a single mouse stem cell has been coaxed into forming a ball of cells that can implant in a mouse’s uterus, where it then generates all three germ layers needed to build a fetus, and Kime et al. produced implantation competent cysts from primed pluripotent stem cells.
Dr. Carol Lynn Curchoe, Founder ART Compass
At ART Compass we support IVF professionals with lab information management and those #TTC. Find out more at www.artcompass.io
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