Removing Obstacles from the Modern Infertility Patient's Journey

Results Show Patient Dropout is Low in an Employer-Sponsored High-Touch Program

News provided by

Apr 24, 2019, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- RMA of New York, a Manhattan-based fertility clinic and Progyny, the leading fertility benefits company, presented original research on the modern fertility journey at the 67^th annual Pacific Coast Reproductive Society conference. Given patients face a host of physical, emotional, and financial obstacles with regard to their fertility, the two organizations partnered to assess current trends and how minor interventions during the treatment journey can be impactful.

Many patients face significant financial hurdles when entering treatment. Even for insured patients, dropout rates tend to be high, ranging from 46 percent to 58 percent. This study suggests high levels of psychological stress play a significant role in patient dropout. As a result, approximately 50 percent of infertile couples never end up pursuing fertility care.

This multi-center, retrospective study examined 2,242 women who initiated treatment in 455 clinics across the United States from January 2016 to July 2017 who were covered by an employer-sponsored insurance plan with inclusive fertility coverage. The high-touch program provided a patient care advocate to guide the patient through the process and provide emotional support.

The study found that infertility treatment that incorporates emotional support from trained professionals and all-inclusive employer-sponsored insurance benefits was able to increase patient retention to over 70 percent. Additionally, plans that allow patients to bypass IUI (intrauterine insemination) requirements and proceed directly to IVF (in vitro fertilization) decreased time to pregnancy and reduced emotional stress. In fact, of the 73 percent of patients who underwent an initial consultation and went on to access treatment, 50 percent of patients proceeded with IVF compared to 14 percent of patients who proceeded with IUI. The IVF pregnancy rate per patient was 55 percent, and the average time from consultation to pregnancy was five and a half months.

Study author Dr. Alan Copperman, Medical Director of RMA of New York, Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, and Medical Director of Progyny commented, "It is encouraging to confirm and quantify how interventions such as changes in insurance plan design and provision of personalized support services can transform the infertility journey and result in more patients achieving pregnancies in an even shorter time frame."

"The study findings reinforce the power of emotional support during the IVF journey and demonstrates how patient care advocates can strengthen the continuity of care and decrease the burden of treatment," said Yishin Yang, study author and VP of Business Intelligence at Progyny.

For more information on this study, visit here.

About Progyny:
Progyny is the leading fertility benefits management company that combines clinical and emotional guidance and support, science, technology and data to provide comprehensive, inclusive and effective value-based fertility solutions for self-insured employers.

Progyny's benefit plans are designed to improve outcomes, shorten time to pregnancy and reduce total fertility-related costs. Progyny is privately held and is headquartered in New York, NY. Please visit www.progyny.com.

About Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York (RMA of New York):
RMA of New York is widely recognized as a global leader in state-of-the-art reproductive medicine. Led by an integrated team of doctors and scientists with extensive reproductive endocrinology, fertility and urology experience and training, RMA of New York consistently reports IVF success rates to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is internationally recognized for achieving high success rates in the treatment of infertility. RMA of New York maximizes access to care by helping patients explore all insurance coverage and financing options available for treatment. RMA of New York is sensitive to the needs of the LGBTQ+ community, women choosing single parent motherhood, and women pursuing fertility preservation for elective indications as well as those in need of oncofertility services.

Headquartered in midtown Manhattan, RMA of New York has six patient care facilities throughout New York, including three facilities in Manhattan, as well as in Brooklyn, Garden City, Westchester, and abroad in Mexico City. For more information, please visit www.rmany.com.

NEWS RELEASE
Media Contact:
Selena Yang
[email protected]
646-768-9719

Amanda Wolfe
[email protected]
212-756-5777

SOURCE RMA of New York