ACTIVITY NUMBER:  BIHCP001

ACTIVITY TITLE: Basic Infertility for Healthcare Providers

CREDIT DESIGNATION STATEMENT

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.   Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

ACCREDITATION STATEMENTS

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Mental Health Professional Group of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  This activity will offer 1 continuing education credit.  The Mental Health Professionals Group of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Release Date:  April 1, 2013

Reviewed & Updated:  January 31, 2024

Expiration Date: January 31, 2026

Estimated Time to Complete Activity: 1 hour

NEEDS ASSESSMENT and IDENTIFICATION OF PRACTICE GAP

Both clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals, including but not limited to physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, physician assistants, licensed practical nurses, medical assistants, laboratory technicians, mental health professionals, genetic counselors, and practice managers, who work in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) and assisted reproductive technology (ART) settings provide education, counseling, support, and direct care to patients seeking assistance with conception.  Many academic programs lack formal introductory educational opportunities in this clinical specialty.  A recent quality improvement study involving REI nurses reported that nurses and nurse practitioners receive little to no school training specific to REI, and any transferrable skills result from experienced nurses who transition into the REI field from other specialty areas.¹   Fewer than 5% of new physician assistant (PA) graduates participate in residency training programs, and PAs working in specialty practice typically have very limited specialty education and training prior to employment.²  

Health professionals entering the field of infertility would benefit from an introductory course of study.³ This training opportunity addresses these gaps by providing basic theoretical and practical knowledge specific to the clinical area of infertility, addresses minimum competency needs, and provides a foundation for more advanced training.  Gaining this foundational knowledge will assist these professionals in fulfilling their roles safely and capably, ultimately contributing to improved quality of care and patient outcomes.  

1.       Vlasic, J., Stevenson, E., Landrum, M., Gedzyk-Nieman, S., Wood, J.  Reproductive endocrinology and infertility nurse online orientation program evaluation:  a quality improvement initiative. F & S Reports.  2023, December 4:4; 390-395. 

2.       Polansky M. Strategies for workplace learning used by entry-level physician assistants. J Physician Assist Educ. 2011;22(3):43-50. 

3.       The Practice Committee of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, the Practice Committee of the Society for Reproductive Biologists, and the Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.  Minimum Standards for practices offering assisted reproductive technologies.  Fertility and Sterility. 2021; 115–3.  

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of the educational activity, participants should be able to:

1.      Outline the anatomy of the female and male reproductive tract and the physiology of conception.

2.      Identify the hormonal and functional changes in the menstrual cycle, gamete production, and the steps of basic embryologic development.

3.      Survey basic preconception health considerations for female and male patients.

4.      List the basic elements in the infertility evaluation and initial investigation of infertility for female and male patients.

COURSE OUTLINE

Lesson 1.            Introduction to Female Fertility and Reproduction

Lesson 2.            Basic Female Reproductive Anatomy & Menstrual Cycle

Lesson 3.            Female Gamete Production, Fertilization, Transportation

Lesson 4.            Infertility Causes & Preconception Health:  Female

Lesson 5.            Male Reproductive Anatomy

Lesson 6.            Infertility Causes & General Health Considerations:  Male

TARGET AUDIENCE

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of physicians in training, registered nurse practitioners and registered nurses, physician assistants, licensed practical nurses, medical assistants, laboratory technicians, and practice managers new to the field of infertility care.   

ACGME COMPETENCY

Medical Knowledge

Patient Care

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

Successful completion of this activity requires the learner to:

·        View a course overview page containing all CME and disclosure information, including acknowledgment of any commercial support and disclosure of unlabeled use.

·        Complete a 25-question pre-exam prior to completing the module. Learners should note any pre-exam questions answered incorrectly for clarification during module study.  

·        Be given the option of downloading printable documents containing presentation information and resources.

·        Participate in the interactive activity: audio narration is synchronized with lesson materials and can be advanced, stopped or reversed as desired.

·        After completion of all lessons, take a 25-question post-exam scoring a minimum of 70% in two attempts.

·        Complete the evaluation survey.

·        Print certificate of completion.

DISCLOSURES FOR PLANNERS AND FACULTY

Planners

Chevis Shannon, DrPH, MBA, MPH, MERC - Nothing to Disclose  

Michelle Landrum, EdD, MA - Nothing to Disclose

Harriet Smith, M.Ed – Nothing to Disclose

Melanie Mikkelsen, MSW, LICSW – Owner, Hold Hope, LLC

Developers of Content & Materials

Teresa Barry Longley, MSN - Nothing to Disclose*

G. Wright Bates, MD - Nothing to Disclose*

Jean Benward, M.S.,M.S.W. -  Nothing to Disclose*

Bruce R Carr, MD - Grants/research: AbbVie, Medicines 360; Speakers Bureau: Shionogi, Noven, Pfizer*

Gary Frishman, MD – Consultant: Columbia Labs*

Joann Galst, Ph.D. -  Nothing to Disclose*

Elizabeth Grill, PsyD – Consultant: SouthEastern Fertility*

Shalini Gunawardena, RN - Nursing Advisory Board: EMD Serono, Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy*

Karen Hammond, DNP, NP – Consultant: Merck*

Judith Horowitz, Ph.D. –  Nothing to Disclose*

Bradley Hurst, MD - Nothing to Disclose*

Maria Jackson, RN, MA – Consultant: Walgreens, Merck*

Angela Lawson, PhD – Nothing to Disclose*

Carol Lesser, MSN – Speakers’ Bureau: Watson*

Eric Levens, MD; Stockholder – Nothing to Disclose*

Susan Lockhart, BS,MBA,PhD  – Nothing to Disclose*       

Elizabeth McGee, MD – Nothing to Disclose*

Peter McGovern, MD – Grant/Research: Ferring, EMD Serono, Merck*

Ira Sharlip, MD  – Nothing to Disclose*   

Angela Smith, EdD, APN – Nothing to Disclose*  

Cigdem Tanrikut, MD – Nothing to Disclose*

Tamara Tobias, NP – Consultant: Merck, Walgreens; Speakers’ Bureau: Serono* 

James P. Toner, MD, PhD – Consultant: Ferring*

Melanie Mikkelsen, MSW, LICSW – Owner, Hold Hope, LLC

Irena Milentijevic, PsyD – Nothing to Disclose

Lauren Berman, PhD – Nothing to Disclose

Erica Mindes – PhD – Nothing to Disclose

Presenters/Speakers

Molly Seigel Kornfield, MD – Nothing to Disclose

Sarah Hmaidan, MD – Nothing to Disclose

Eve Feinburg, MD – Consultant: Ferring

James Wren, MD – Nothing to Disclose

Ruben Alvero, MD – Direct Stockholder: Hannah Life Technologies, Scientific Advisor: Orchid Bioscience   

                                     and Parity Health Inc.

Reviewers

Ariya Mobaraki, MD – Nothing to Disclose**

Melanie Mikkelsen, MSW, LICSW – Nothing to Disclose

(*contributed to the original course only) 

(**beta-test participant reviewer; not responsible for content) 

It is the policy of ASRM to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all its educational activities. All faculty/speakers participating in this activity are required to disclose any relationships they may have with companies whose products or services could be mentioned, allowing participants to determine the objectivity of the presentations. The content and views presented in this activity are those of the faculty/speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of ASRM. Any discussion of the off-label, experimental, or investigational use of drugs or devices is not allowed. The disclosure statements were reviewed by the CME Subcommittee and the Executive Program Committee of ASRM, and any perceived conflicts of interest were resolved in accordance with the ACCME’s policies and Standards of Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This CME activity is sponsored by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT

No commercial support was provided for this activity.