The HFEA have recently published information regarding treatment add-ons on their website. Add-ons are considered to be anything that is additional to standard treatment. These treatments lack the robust evidence base necessary to be considered as standard treatment.
IVF treatment add-ons are usually not part of treatment ‘packages’ and are billed separately. Many of these interventions are still under evaluation and should be considered experimental. Some will represent good science and will build up a subsequent evidence base and become part of routine treatment, others will be shown to have no value and be discarded. It is important to have a full discussion with your consultant if add-ons are suggested as part of your treatment.
The traffic light system is shown below. More information can be found on the HFEA website.
A green symbol is given for an add-on where there is more than one good quality RCT which shows that the procedure is effective at improving live birth rates and is shown to be safe for patients to use. These treatment add-ons may be routinely used in fertility treatments therefore will not be included in this review list. Currently no add-ons are given a green rating by the HFEA.
An amber symbol for an add-on where there is conflicting evidence to show that an add-on can improve live birth rates, or that the add-on is safe for patients to use. This means that the evidence is not conclusive and further research is required, and the add-on should not be recommended for routine use.
A red symbol for an add-on where there is no evidence to show that it can improve live birth rates. A red symbol is given for an add-on where there is evidence to show that the add-on is unsafe.
In healthcare, knowledge comes from different sources. These include:
The approach to evidence should aim to ensure information:
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) use research methods aimed at reducing bias and that’s why they are considered the only objective way to assess whether an add-on works. However, RCTs are difficult to carry out and require a large amount of time and money and may be difficult to recruit to depending upon what is being studied.
RCT’s aren’t the only way of collecting meaningful information. For example large datasets may provide insights in to the effectiveness of add-ons but there is some discussion regarding the relative benefits of each of these approaches.
In the absence of good RCTs as evidence, an increasing proportion of the sector is relying on their own experiences and analysis of live birth rates and patient outcomes within their own clinics, to determine the suitability and effectiveness of treatments for patients. It may be appropriate to consider alternative evidence in these circumstances.
Factors to consider when evaluating add-on treatments
When you are ready and the time is right for you, the next step is to contact us and we will help you arrange a face-to-face, telephone or video-call introduction with one of our consultants.
You can do this by filling in the contact form below or by giving one of our friendly team a call on +44 (0) 203 263 6025 or emailing us at admin@ariafertility.co.uk.
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