News | AI and Telemedicine: How Fast Track to Fertility Is Changing Fertility Care
For families experiencing infertility, time is especially valuable. Yet long waits and complex processes cause many patients to stop before treatment begins. According to new Penn Medicine research published in NEJM Catalyst, an innovative program called Fast Track to Fertility cut the time from first contact to treatment in half, allowing patients to begin about six weeks sooner.
Shorter Treatment Waits Help More Patients Begin Fertility Care
After Fast Track to Fertility was introduced, the average wait for new patients from initial consultation to treatment fell from 97 days to 41 days. The program also significantly improved access, increasing the number of new patients receiving treatment by 24%. In the United States, one in eight couples experiences fertility problems. Since becoming the standard care model in Penn Medicine's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the program has helped more than 1000 new patients begin fertility treatment.
“The vast majority of patients seeking fertility care have already been trying to conceive for more than a year, so they are under considerable emotional stress and want to begin treatment quickly,” said senior author and Fast Track to Fertility co-founder Anuja Dokras, MD, PhD, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Our findings show that the program substantially shortens wait times and helps more people begin treatment sooner.”
Using Telemedicine and AI to Improve Fertility Treatment Efficiency
As demand for fertility care has grown, long appointment waits have become common at infertility centers. Fast Track to Fertility uses telemedicine to accelerate patient intake through the Innovation Accelerator program at the Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation.
A small team of advanced practice providers ensures patients receive an initial telemedicine consultation promptly. Patients may also join an artificial intelligence-guided text messaging system that simplifies fertility testing. Testing commonly includes blood work, ultrasound, X-rays, and semen analysis. Some tests must be timed to the menstrual cycle, making efficient coordination essential.
“The central advantage of the system is that the fertility care journey begins as soon as a patient contacts us,” said lead author and program co-founder Suneeta Senapati, MD, MSCE, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Infertility treatment involves both partners, and testing is complex and time-sensitive. Our goal is to help patients complete every necessary step quickly and with as little confusion as possible.”
Initial Pilot: Major Reductions in Wait Times and Missed Appointments
During the initial pilot, the program used human support staff instead of AI to test the system. The process reduced the time from first contact to completion of a new-patient visit by 88%, to an average of only 4 days. Participants did not need to make additional calls to ask about next steps, while 25% of nonparticipants sought help because the process was unclear.
By the latest analysis in 2021, the program had expanded to become the standard model of care in Penn Medicine's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. It halved treatment wait times and reduced the missed-appointment rate from 40% to 20%. Dokras said that missed appointments are difficult to refill promptly in time-sensitive fertility care, so reducing them allows more patients to receive treatment sooner.
Future Outlook: Digital Health to Support Personalized Fertility Care
Both patients and the advanced practice providers operating the system reported high satisfaction. The team hopes to expand the model to provide more comprehensive support.
Senapati said: “Innovative care models like this are not intended to replace doctors. They improve efficiency so clinicians and patient-care teams can meet growing demand while preserving personalized care. Ultimately, this gives us more time to focus on what matters most—helping patients build their families.”
News | AI and Telemedicine: How Fast Track to Fertility Is Changing Fertility Care
News | AI and Telemedicine: How Fast Track to Fertility Is Changing Fertility Care
For families experiencing infertility, time is especially valuable. Yet long waits and complex processes cause many patients to stop before treatment begins. According to new Penn Medicine research published in NEJM Catalyst, an innovative program called Fast Track to Fertility cut the time from first contact to treatment in half, allowing patients to begin about six weeks sooner.
Shorter Treatment Waits Help More Patients Begin Fertility Care
After Fast Track to Fertility was introduced, the average wait for new patients from initial consultation to treatment fell from 97 days to 41 days. The program also significantly improved access, increasing the number of new patients receiving treatment by 24%. In the United States, one in eight couples experiences fertility problems. Since becoming the standard care model in Penn Medicine's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the program has helped more than 1000 new patients begin fertility treatment.
“The vast majority of patients seeking fertility care have already been trying to conceive for more than a year, so they are under considerable emotional stress and want to begin treatment quickly,” said senior author and Fast Track to Fertility co-founder Anuja Dokras, MD, PhD, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Our findings show that the program substantially shortens wait times and helps more people begin treatment sooner.”
Using Telemedicine and AI to Improve Fertility Treatment Efficiency
As demand for fertility care has grown, long appointment waits have become common at infertility centers. Fast Track to Fertility uses telemedicine to accelerate patient intake through the Innovation Accelerator program at the Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation.
A small team of advanced practice providers ensures patients receive an initial telemedicine consultation promptly. Patients may also join an artificial intelligence-guided text messaging system that simplifies fertility testing. Testing commonly includes blood work, ultrasound, X-rays, and semen analysis. Some tests must be timed to the menstrual cycle, making efficient coordination essential.
“The central advantage of the system is that the fertility care journey begins as soon as a patient contacts us,” said lead author and program co-founder Suneeta Senapati, MD, MSCE, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Infertility treatment involves both partners, and testing is complex and time-sensitive. Our goal is to help patients complete every necessary step quickly and with as little confusion as possible.”
Initial Pilot: Major Reductions in Wait Times and Missed Appointments
During the initial pilot, the program used human support staff instead of AI to test the system. The process reduced the time from first contact to completion of a new-patient visit by 88%, to an average of only 4 days. Participants did not need to make additional calls to ask about next steps, while 25% of nonparticipants sought help because the process was unclear.
By the latest analysis in 2021, the program had expanded to become the standard model of care in Penn Medicine's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. It halved treatment wait times and reduced the missed-appointment rate from 40% to 20%. Dokras said that missed appointments are difficult to refill promptly in time-sensitive fertility care, so reducing them allows more patients to receive treatment sooner.
Future Outlook: Digital Health to Support Personalized Fertility Care
Both patients and the advanced practice providers operating the system reported high satisfaction. The team hopes to expand the model to provide more comprehensive support.
Senapati said: “Innovative care models like this are not intended to replace doctors. They improve efficiency so clinicians and patient-care teams can meet growing demand while preserving personalized care. Ultimately, this gives us more time to focus on what matters most—helping patients build their families.”
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