RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To discuss the implications of increased cross-border reproductive care and the impetus for the establishment of the First International Forum on Cross-Border Reproductive Care. SETTING: Ottawa, Canada, January 14-16, 2009. CONCLUSION(S): The increased use of assisted reproductive techniques, coupled with factors such as the advent of its regulation in some countries, has led to an increase in the number of patients crossing borders to seek fertility treatment. A panel of international experts was gathered to address the issues of safety and efficacy for the travelling assisted reproductive techniques patient, and several common concerns were raised. The Forum participants recommended greater levels of education for patients and care providers in the form of Prompters, which, at the least, would provide both parties with relevant questions to ask of local and foreign care centers. It is clear from the discussions held at the Forum and detailed in this supplemental issue of Fertility and Sterility that cross-border reproductive care is a complicated phenomenon that requires international cooperation and continued dialogue between involved parties.
Asunto(s)
Cooperación Internacional , Calidad de la Atención de Salud/normas , Reproducción , Técnicas Reproductivas Asistidas/normas , Canadá , Femenino , Humanos , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To collect data on the practices of molecular genetic testing (MGT) laboratories for the development of national and international policies for quality assurance (QA). METHODS: A web-based survey of MGT laboratory directors (n = 827; response rate 63%) in 18 countries on 3 continents. QA and reporting indices were developed and calculated for each responding laboratory. RESULTS: Laboratory setting varied among and within countries, as did qualifications of the directors. Respondents in every country indicated that their laboratory receives specimens from outside their national borders (64%, n = 529). Pair-wise comparisons of the QA index revealed a significant association with the director having formal training in molecular genetics (p < 0.005), affiliation with a genetics unit (p = 0.003), accreditation of the laboratory (p < 0.005) and participation in proficiency testing (p < 0.005). Research labs had a lower mean report score compared to all other settings (p < 0.05) as did laboratories accessioning <150 samples per year. CONCLUSION: MGT is provided under widely varying conditions and regulatory frameworks. The data provided here may be a useful guide for policy action at both governmental and professional levels.