Meeting the demand for fertility services: the present and future of reproductive endocrinology and infertility in the United States.

The field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) is at a crossroads; there is a mismatch between demand for reproductive endocrinology, infertility and assisted reproductive technology (ART) services, and availability of care. This document's focus is to provide data justifying the critical need for increased provision of fertility services in the United States now and into the future, offer approaches to rectify the developing physician shortage problem, and suggest a framework for the discussion on how to meet that increase in demand. The Society of REI recommend the following: 1. Our field should aggressively explore and implement courses of action to increase the number of qualified, highly trained REI physicians trained annually. We recommend efforts to increase the number of REI fellowships and the size complement of existing fellowships be prioritized where possible. These courses of action include: a. Increase the number of REI fellowship training programs. b. Increase the number of fellows trained at current REI fellowship programs. c. The pros and cons of a 2-year focused clinical fellowship track for fellows interested primarily in ART practice were extensively explored. We do not recommend shortening the REI fellowship to 2 years at this time, because efforts should be focused on increasing the number of fellowship training slots (1a and b). 2. It is recommended that the field aggressively implements courses of action to increase the number of and appropriate usage of non-REI providers to increase clinical efficiency under appropriate board-certified REI physician supervision. 3. Automating processes through technologic improvements can free providers at all levels to practice at the top of their license.

Racial disparities in telehealth use during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on initial infertility consultations. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Fertility practice in an academic medical center. PATIENTS: Patients presenting for initial infertility consultation between January 2019 and June 2021 were randomly selected for prepandemic (n = 500) and pandemic (n = 500) cohorts. EXPOSURE: Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was a change in the proportion of African American patients using telehealth after pandemic onset compared with all other patients. Secondary outcomes included presentation to an appointment vs. no-show or cancellation. Exploratory outcomes included appointment length and in vitro fertilization initiation. RESULTS: The prepandemic cohort vs. the pandemic cohort had fewer patients with commercial insurance (64.4% vs. 72.80%) and more African American patients (33.0% vs. 27.0%), although the racial makeup did not differ significantly between the two cohorts. Rates of missed appointments did not differ between the cohorts, but the prepandemic cohort vs. the pandemic cohort was more likely to no-show (49.4% vs. 27.8%) and less likely to cancel (50.6% vs. 72.2%). African American patients, compared with all other patients, during the pandemic were less likely to use telehealth (57.0% vs. 66.8%). African American patients, compared with all other patients, were less likely to have commercial insurance (prepandemic: 41.2% vs. 75.8%; pandemic: 57.0% vs. 78.6%), present to their scheduled appointment (prepandemic: 52.7% vs. 73.7%; pandemic: 48.1% vs. 74.8%), and cancel vs. no-show (prepandemic: 30.8% vs. 68.2%, pandemic: 64.3% vs. 78.3%). On multivariable analysis, African American patients were less likely (odds ratio 0.37, 95% confidence interval 0.28-0.50) and telehealth users were more likely (odds ratio 1.54, 95% confidence interval 1.04-2.27) to present to their appointments vs. no-show or cancel when controlling for insurance type and timing relative to the onset of the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Telehealth implementation during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic decreased the overall no-show rate, but this shift did not apply to African American patients. This analysis highlights disparities in insurance coverage, telehealth utilization, and presentation for an initial consultation in the African American population during the pandemic.

How much does the uterus matter? Perinatal outcomes are improved when donor oocyte embryos are transferred to gestational carriers compared to intended parent recipients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the reproductive and neonatal outcomes of cycles in which donor oocyte embryos were transferred to gestational carriers compared to intended parent recipients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Not applicable. PATIENT(S): Intended parent recipients and gestational carriers receiving donor oocyte embryos in 2014 in the United States. INTERVENTIONS(S): None. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURE(S): Clinical pregnancy, live birth, miscarriage, plurality, prematurity, and birth weight from pregnancies conceived with donor oocyte embryos transferred to either a gestational carrier or an intended parent recipient. RESULT(S): The mean ages of intended parent recipients (N=18,317) and gestational carriers (N=1,927) were 41.6 and 31.6 years, respectively. Compared to an intended parent recipient, patients using a gestational carrier had significantly higher odds of a clinical pregnancy (65.2% vs. 56.3%, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-1.51) and live birth (57.1% vs. 46.4%, aOR 1.37, 95% CI 1.21-1.55) using fresh or frozen donor-oocyte embryos. Of the singletons born (n=716 using a gestational carrier and n=5,632 in intended parent recipients), the incidence of prematurity was significantly lower in gestational carriers compared to intended parent recipients (17.5% vs. 25.4%, aOR 0.78, 95% CI 0.61-0.99). The incidence of low birthweight among singletons was significantly reduced in gestational carrier cycles (6.4% vs. 12.1%, aOR 0.62, 95% CI 0.44-0.89). CONCLUSION: Intended parent recipients had decreased pregnancy rates and poorer neonatal outcomes compared to a gestational carrier. This suggests that a history of infertility adversely affects the uterine microenvironment, independent of the oocyte.