scientific program • symposia - American Society for Reproductive ...

43 RD ANNUAL POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM
Developed in Cooperation with the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology
FACULTY
Elizabeth S. Ginsburg, M.D., Chair
Glenn L. Schattman M.D.
Eric S. Surrey M.D.
ACGME COMPETENCY
Medical Knowledge
NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND COURSE DESCRIPTION
There is tremendous controversy regarding infertility treatment. Patients facing IVF for infertility are often desperate and
request treatments that have minimal or no proven benefit. Physicians, faced with conflicting information regarding such
adjunctive treatments, may choose to use some or all of these in the absence of expert advice.
The goal of this course, designed for healthcare professionals who provide infertility counseling and treatment, is to act
as a mini-seminar on practice guidelines. Participants will review the literature and make recommendations based on the
current state of the art. The course will arm participants with the knowledge to competently counsel patients about the
topics covered, and will help them make decisions about whether to offer the adjunctive treatments covered, to refer
patients for them (e.g., for acupuncture), or whether to discourage their use.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the conclusion of this course, participants should be able to:
1. Discuss the outcomes of randomized studies on various drugs used during IVF treatment, including baby aspirin, DHEA,
luteal estrogen supplementation and growth hormone.
2. Describe the applications and limitations of ovarian reserve testing, interpret the results of those tests and explain the
results in terms of expected IVF outcome.
3. Quote pregnancy rates in randomized studies of PGS, list the possible sources of error of PGS analysis and discuss new
technologies available for genetic screening of embryos and quality of the outcomes data currently available.
4. Discuss the mean age of patients who have conceived with cryopreserved oocytes, as well as the expected oocyte
survival and pregnancy rates based on published literature.
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Developed in Cooperation with the Mental Health Professional Group
FACULTY
Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., Chair
Jacky Boivin, Ph.D., Co-Chair
Tara Cousineau, Ph.D.
Christopher Newton, Ph.D.
ACGME COMPETENCY
Patient Care
One-Day Courses
Saturday, October 23 rd
CONTROVERSIES IN IN VITRO FERTILIZATION: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT
Course PG1 (Saturday) • ROOM 505
PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS FOR INFERTILITY PATIENTS
Course PG2 (Saturday) • ROOM 401
NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND COURSE DESCRIPTION
Recent research supports the presence of significant psychological symptoms in the infertile population. Anxiety, depression
or both are present in 40% of new infertility clinic patients, and these symptoms tend to increase as the duration and
intensity of treatment increases. Distress is the primary reason that patients terminate treatment, and the more distressed
the patient, the less likely the treatment is to be successful. Research has shown that psychological interventions can lead
to increases in pregnancy rates, but despite this evidence and patients’ strong desire for psychosocial help, only a small
proportion of patients seek out psychological services. Thus, tailored, appropriate interventions are not being delivered to
patients in need.
This course, designed for mental health professionals, as well as for nurses and other health care professionals who deal
with infertility patients, will elucidate and propose methods for dealing with the complex psychological issues facing infertility
patients. Appropriate screening methodologies will be presented and the different interventions available to these patients
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CME
CME
CE