5 Ways How Fertility Platforms Are Changing The Patient Experience Here's how fertility platforms and apps have brought IVF Technology to the doorsteps of millions.
By Aditya Kandoi •
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Over the years technology has led to profound changes in the way we interact with the world. It has become an indispensable part of our lives: from helping create tools and systems that possess incredible utility, to changing the speed at which things get done. Improvements in technology has left a lasting impact on healthcare, reducing mortality rates across the board and affording a higher quality of life. The impact is also noticeable when it comes to improving the emotional wellbeing of couples, particularly the ones who are going through the daunting task of fertility treatments.
Given the uncomfortable nature of the subject and understandable reservations of individuals and couples to openly discuss the issue, it is no surprise that many couples choose to forgo treatment, or give up due to emotional exhaustion. Infertility can take a huge mental and emotional toll on men and women. Right from accepting the fact that there is a problem, fighting the taboo of seeking an IVF treatment, finding the best doctor and embarking on a treatment journey which is long and mentally draining, the patients complete their fertility treatment with very low emotional reserves.
In India, Infertility afflicts nearly 10- 15% of married couples. Studies also suggest that South Asian women have a poor ovarian reserve compared to Caucasian women, and are likely to suffer from earlier onset of infertility and poorer outcomes from infertility treatment. Going for an IVF treatment is a major life decision, and while it brings with it a renewed sense of hope, it can be an exhausting experience for everyone involved.
Here are 5 ways in which new age fertility platforms and apps are making the "complicated' IVF journey simpler to understand:-
Increasing transparency
The emotional turmoil of an IVF treatment is also not the only problem. Low awareness about the right treatment and the right doctor, lack of transparency about pricing structures of various treatments and multiple failures of IVF Cycles due to lack of knowledge and mismatch of doctor to the medical condition is the reason why only 1% of infertile couples in India seek treatment. With the help of fertility platforms this is slowly changing. Fertility mobile applications can help women find certified clinics and doctors, reducing the chance of scams or misguided treatments.
Increasing the success rate of positive pregnancies
Technology is already radically changing the patient experience landscape. A prime example of this is the use of a doctor-patient matching algorithm that offers a chance of personalized recommendation along with a better success rate of a fertility treatment outcome.
The success rate of the fertility treatments can be significantly improved if the right doctor is matched to the right patient, based on patients' medical condition, diagnostic test parameters and budget requirements. With the help of such algorithms, fertility treatments are witnessing up to a 72% success rate of positive pregnancy as compared to the dismal figure of 40%, which is the current average success ratio.
- Making infertility affordable
In a lot off cases, it is not a fertility diagnosis that stands directly in the way of becoming a parent, it is the ability to afford the treatment that becomes the biggest barrier. With the advent of fertility platforms, there are great tools and information available which provides financial support to its users by providing loans on their treatment. This reduces the financial burden that most people end up carrying alone and makes the entire process less daunting for couples.
Overcoming the "social' stigma
Shame and guilt for "failing" to conceive and carry a baby without medical help is a prevalent issue in the Indian society. Moreover, when it comes to having difficulty in conceiving, it is always the woman who is blamed without knowing the fact that more 40% infertility cases are due to men. New-age fertility platforms help overcome this stigma by providing couples access to communities where users who are in the initial stages of fertility journey as well as those who completed the process successfully can discuss their issues, concerns and solutions that helped them surpass their problems.
- Monitoring your fertility the smart way
Fertility technology is driving women to have a better understanding if their bodies from ovulation tracking, nutrition to managing menstrual calendar and much more. Right from ovulation tracking, fertility calendar and period tracking, fertility apps can enable women to smartly control their fertility and help conceive or avoid pregnancy.
This new wave of tech is not only reducing stigma but is also empowering because it takes a largely unknowable aspect of women's biology and makes it as knowable and easy as checking Facebook.
