Rethinking the fertility work-up: How patient engagement from the start boosts treatment conversion rates for fertility clinics

At fertility clinics, several roadblocks can hinder the journey from patients booking the initial consultation to the start of treatment. Addressing these obstacles necessitates a paradigm shift towards reimagining the fertility work-up. By implementing LEVY Health’s clinical decision support software, clinics convert 8 out of 10 patients to treatment, significantly benefiting their bottom line. Plus, automating and streamlining the fertility work-up process can save staff time and clinic costs. Keep reading our article to learn more about how it works.  

Bottlenecks in the fertility work-up

Patient wait time

There are two major bottlenecks clinics face when preparing patients for treatment. The first is patient wait time. 

After booking the initial consultation, patients generally have to wait 4 to 6+ weeks before going to the clinic and meeting the reproductive endocrinologist (REI). A lot can happen in that time. They might have a change of heart or turn to other clinics in the hope of getting help faster. Some patients may go “clinic shopping” by attending multiple appointments at various clinics, bringing down conversion to treatment rates.

Ineffective fertility work-up

The second is the process of the fertility work-up itself, which has several hurdles.

Manual patient intake

Firstly, REIs & clinic staff are spending countless hours asking patients the same questions (a process that can be streamlined and moved online). For many clinics, that data then needs to be transferred to their EMR system before the patient can take the next steps in their fertility journey – adding extra admin time for clinic staff. 

Fragmented testing

Then, there’s the timing of testing. Between blood work that needs to be aligned with the menstrual cycle, ultrasound, semen analysis, and genetic testing, it can take up to a month between ordering the labs and receiving the results. 

Low patient engagement

Without an improved process that moves patients more swiftly to the life-changing fertility care they need, it’s no wonder that many patients drop out before treatment has begun. Lack of active patient involvement in the phase leading up to assisted reproductive technologies (ART) causes patients to become frustrated and unmotivated.

Excessive paperwork

Furthermore, clinic staff and REIs spend significant time on administrative tasks involved in the fertility work-up, getting patients ready for treatment. Not to mention the time lost when consulting patients who don’t need ART, due to lack of effective triaging before the first clinic visit. 

Challenging the status quo

Integrating LEVY Health’s software into clinic processes solves these problems. By utilizing the patient’s wait time for the initial consultation to complete the fertility work-up and engage them with education, clinics can increase their treatment-to-conversion rates by up to 20%. 

Here’s what the process looks like in practice: 

The initial conversation moves to the patient’s front door: When booking the first consult, patients are directed to LEVY Health. They answer a smart online Reproductive Health Assessment from the comfort of their home that adapts to their in real time based on their responses.

After that, they are issued a personalized lab order which they can take with them for testing at any Labcorp or Quest location in the country. When the results are in, LEVY Health receives them automatically via API, and the software’s algorithms begin the analysis.

Patients’ answers to the health assessment and the lab results are interpreted together, to create evidence-based recommendations for diagnostics and treatment, which are then shared with the treating physician for review.

An IVF flagging system is built into the patient recommendations for appropriate triaging, ensuring both clinicians and patients are aware of the need for treatment before the initial consult.

Once the REI has approved the results and recommendations, the patient can view them in her LEVY Health profile. In LEVY Learn, she can access medically-reviewed patient resources to educate herself on what her results mean and the available avenues for her to build her family. 

The benefits of letting LEVY Health take care of the fertility work-up

Utilize patient wait times

With LEVY Health, patients are engaged from the get-go. Immediately after booking the initial consultation, they can begin their online Reproductive Health Assessment and visit a lab for testing on their own time. No more waiting weeks for an appointment and making multiple trips to the clinic. 

Patient support and guidance every step of the way

Moreover, patients are personally guided by the hand through each step of the fertility work-up with ongoing support via text, email, and chat with LEVY Health’s Care team. Our team also ensures that patients are on track with their work-up and will arrive at the initial consultation fully prepared. This engagement leads to decreased churn rates and fewer cancellations of the first appointment. 

Turning the initial consultation into a treatment conversation

Additionally, instead of spending an hour asking questions about the patient’s medical history and ordering labs, the first consultation is all about reviewing results and discussing treatment options.. Patients arrive already tested, educated about their fertility, and ready to talk next steps – prepared to make informed care decisions on their path to parenthood. Any remaining questions can be discussed in more detail, making the consultation a more meaningful and efficient process for patients and providers alike. 

Evidence-based patient IVF triage

Lastly, thanks to LEVY Health’s IVF flagging system, REIs can choose to only meet with patients who have been triaged for IVF. If IVF isn’t necessary, patients can be matched to other healthcare providers for support on their fertility journey. 

Addressing potential concerns about automating the fertility work-up

Physicians concerned about losing their connection to their patients through this process need not worry. LEVY Health’s Care Team is there to support your patients every step of the way during the fertility work-up. 

Because patients arrive at the initial consultation already tested and informed about their options, there is room for a more meaningful conversation about the next steps. 

As a clinical decision support software, the LEVY Fertility Code helps physicians focus more of their time and capacity on what they do best – providing excellent fertility care that changes lives. By removing the burden of repetitive, administrative tasks from their shoulders and providing evidence-based treatment recommendations for review, our software enables reproductive endocrinologists to see more patients than ever before, and make an even larger impact.

We conducted a survey with patients who completed the fertility work-up with LEVY Health and received overwhelmingly positive feedback: 

Likewise, REIs who have used LEVY Health at their clinic have given positive feedback. 

“Using the LEVY Fertility Code is the most rapid way to diagnose the underlying cause of female infertility. The interface is user-friendly, and enables physicians to focus more on treatment, so that we can help more women have healthy pregnancies.” 

Nina Resetkova, MD, MBA at Boston IVF

See how LEVY Health can increase your clinic’s efficiency and bottom line

Interested in learning more about how this works in practice?
Book a free demo with one of our Partnerships managers and we’ll walk you through how integrating LEVY Health into your practice can save REI’s more than 60 minutes per patient while converting 8 out of 10 patients to treatment.