High call volumes, outdated communication methods, strain staff, frustrated fertility patients
Clinics Average Six Phone Calls Per IVF Cycle, 9 Minutes Each
Despite growing demand from patients for mobile native experiences, many fertility clinics still rely heavily on phone calls and manual messages to communicate time-sensitive information. Giles Palmer, clinical embryologist (UK) comments, “We live in a binge-watch, fast-food, Uber-riding, amazon-shopping, next day delivery world now...how advanced does your clinic sound if you talk to a patient about sending a ‘fax?’ These liquid expectations run through from the everyday into the fertility treatment cycle.”
In one high-volume Israeli program performing 15,000 transfers annually, patients and clinics averaged six calls per cycle, each lasting roughly nine minutes. These numbers don’t account for unanswered calls, voicemail delays, or breaches of privacy from speakerphone conversations.
The bottleneck affects more than just convenience. A 2024 publication on healthcare provider stress in assisted reproduction found that “the first and most important source of stress seems to be the communication between Assisted Reproduction professionals and patients.” The problem is particularly acute for nurses, who are tasked with relaying dosing changes, cycle updates, and critical instructions — sometimes repeatedly and with urgency.
Traditional Fixes Fall Short — and Add to the Problem
Electronic medical record (EMR) systems have attempted to address communication gaps with patient portals. But most of these systems are not mobile-native and require login from a desktop or laptop, limiting accessibility for patients on the go. Moreover, integration between mobile apps and EMRs is notoriously difficult, hindering workflow improvement.
Some fertility networks have developed their own mobile tools with mixed results. Others have turned to outside vendors such as FertilAI. Yet many clinics continue to rely on fragmented solutions, compounding the operational burden on staff already stretched thin.
Fertility Nurses Lose Hours Each Day to the Phone
The inefficiencies have direct downstream effects. FertilAI, a digital platform focused on clinic workflow optimization, reports that nurses are often tied up with calls that could be automated or streamlined — including repeat instructions like preparing a full bladder before embryo transfer.
Clinics often express concern that patients may resist shifting so much communication to a mobile app, citing the need for high-touch, personalized care. However, the data paints a different picture.
One Platform Shows 46% Reduction in Call Volume, Higher Patient Satisfaction
After FertilAI was deployed across a multi-location program at Herzliya Medical Center in Israel serving over 10,000 patients, clinics saw a 46% drop in total calls and a 33% decrease in overall call time. Notably, this occurred as clinic activity increased by 26%. Push notifications now deliver medication instructions paired with how-to videos. Patients can request contact directly from in-app instruction messages, eliminating unnecessary back-and-forth.
Patient feedback also countered initial skepticism. In a multi-clinic survey involving over 10,000 users, average satisfaction exceeded 9.2 out of 10.
Reducing Errors While Raising Standards of Care
FertilAI’s integration goes beyond communication. Its platform includes configurable pre-testing workflows, cycle quality control alerts, and customizable dashboards that let clinics monitor whether patients have viewed lab results or instructions. Nurses can filter by patient engagement and spot gaps in adherence without placing a single call.