ISAR consensus guidelines on safety and ethical practices in in vitro fertilization clinics

Study Question: What are the Safe and Ethical practices for ART applicable in INDIA? What is Already Known: The Indian IVF industry is booming; with mushrooming of assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinics in the country, the need for regulation is immense. The ISAR has taken up this initiative to lead the way forward in establishing practice guidelines for the safe and ethical use of ARTs in our country. These guidelines discuss the points to consider before the starting of an IVF unit, to the designing of the laboratory, the staffing pattern and experience recommendations, laboratory safety guidelines, documentation and patient traceability, gamete traceability, handling biological material, the consumables and media, and different consents and checklists and also propose key performance indicators for the Indian scenario. Study Design, Size, Duration: This is the report of a 2-day consensus meeting where two moderators were assigned to a group of experts to collate information on safe and ethical ivf practices in INDIA. This meeting utilised surveys, available scientific evidence and personal laboratory experience into various presentations by experts on pre-decided specific topics. Participants/Materials, Setting, Methods: Expert professionals from ISAR representing clinical and embryology fields. Main Results and the Role of Chance: The report is divided in various components including the regulations, the various requirements for an ART center, qualifications and trainings, recommendations on good practices and quality management: the report and recommendations of the expert panel reflect the discussion on each of the topics and try to lay down good practice points for labs to follow. Limitations, Reasons for Caution: The recommendations are solely based on expert opinion. Future availability of data may warrant an update of the same. Wider Implications of the Findings: These guidelines can help labs across the country to standardise their ART services and improve clinical outcomes. Study Funding/Competing Interest(S): The consensus meeting and writing of the paper was supported by funds from CooperSurgical India.