Recommended reading
The report of the meetings presents the consensus on definitions and recommended competency and benchmark values for 19 Indicators for the ART Laboratory. Read more
The ESHRE Special Interest Group in Embryology published the Atlas of Embryology in 2000 as a supplement to Human Reproduction. This initiative was received with acclaim and has become a very valuable reference that is used by embryologists all over the world.
We have undertaken to produce a new edition that completely updates the first edition and have chosen to publish it as an online document that provides the additional advantages of flexibility for revision and ease of consultation. View it here
The latest guidelines have been published on 17 February 2016. The full document can be found on our website. The executive summary can be found in Human Reproduction.
The guidelines were first published in Focus in Reproduction (1990, 1, 10-38) then in Human Reproduction (1995, 10, 1246-1271), (2000, 15, 2241-6) and (2008 (6):1253-62). They were developed with the input from the SIG Embryology.
Executive Summary in Human Reproduction:
The ESHRE Guideline Group on Good Practice in IVF Labs, Maria José De los Santos, Susanna Apter, Giovanni Coticchio, Sophie Debrock, Kersti Lundin, Carlos E. Plancha, Fernando Prados, Laura Rienzi, Greta Verheyen, Bryan Woodward and Nathalie Vermeulen. Revised guidelines for good practice in IVF laboratories (2015). Hum. Reprod. (2016) 31 (4): 685-686. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dew016
The data collected by the questionnaire show the state in the field of clinical embryology in 27 European countries. We present the regulations in each country that define the required education, the possibilities of acquiring adequate education and practical skills in ART for staff working in IVF laboratories. At the same time we also illustrate the actual situation and current professional status of around 7,000 professionals working in 1349 IVF laboratories that altogeher perform approximately 700,000 fresh and frozen ART cycles per year.
Kovačič B, Plas C, Woodward BJ, Verheyen G, Prados FJ, Hreinsson J, De los Santos MJ, Magli MC, Lundin K, Plancha CE. The educational and professional status of clinical embryology and clinical embryologists in Europe. Hum Reprod. 2015 Aug;30(8):1755-62. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dev118. Epub 2015 Jun 12.
Harper J, Magli MC, Lundin K, Barratt CL, Brison D (2012) When and how should new technology be introduced into the IVF laboratory? Hum Reprod 27(2):303-13.
This paper reports the proceedings of an international consensus meeting on oocyte and embryo morphology assessment. Human Reproduction, Volume 26, Issue 6, 1 June 2011, Pages 1270–1283, https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/der037
Mastenbroek S, Van der Veen F, Aflatoonian A, Shapiro B, Bussuyt P, Repping S (2011) Embryo selection in IVF. Hum Reprod 26(5):964-6.
In September 1999 delegates from seven countries came together to discuss counselling issues in infertility. Discussions in this and subsequent meetings produced a document entitled "Guidelines for Counselling in Infertility" which aimed to describe key issues in the counselling of individuals using assisted reproduction. The Guidelines were intended for both medical and mental health professionals to help maintain good practice with regard to psychosocial care for infertile couples. The Guidelines have been accepted by the Executive Committee of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology and have been published in the journal Human Reproduction (May/June, 2001).
The full text of these guidelines can be downloaded in pdf format - file is 452k