Electronic witnessing system: modern IVF laboratories practices and safety.
WHAT IS ELECTRONIC WITNESSING SYSTEM TOP IVF CLINICS USE AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THEIR INTERNAL PROCEDURES?
Electronic witnessing system has became popular in IVF clinical practices improving procedure traceability and minimizing the risk of errors in IVF, protecting patients and clinics by witnessing, monitoring, cross-checking, recording by complex labelling system.
Infertility treatment is a very precise and personal process with multiple contact points, such as egg collection, sperm collection, egg and sperm quality checks, fertilisation, embryo cultivation, embryo transfer, biopsy. The usual double-checking approach may be vulnerable to human errors including check omission, check incompletion, involuntary automaticity, and non-contemporaneous checking. Sophisticated electronic witnessing systems help the clinics maintain a smooth and accurate process flow, minimising any chances of errors.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF ELECTRONIC WITNESSING SYSTEM IN IVF
Advanced witnessing systems help to maintain the integrity and security of clinics' procedures by combining sophisticated equipment, software, barcode labelling and imaging technology to record and double-check the identity of all materials and equipments used in every procedure throughout the treatment.
Automated cross-checking, ensures critical detection and prevention of human errors, provides a safe and secure environment during the IVF treatment process increasing considerably the confidence during every step of the procedure.
In practise every patient is issued an individual ID card with photograph and unique bar code is assigned to verify the identity of the patient and match of the cells. Identity of the patient is monitored at every stage of the process as are the cells and equipment used for handling. Simultaneously, the system checks the match of cells and equipment and records every information regarding the procedure.
THE IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF ELECTRONIC WITNESSING SYSTEMS FOR IVF
- Improves significantly process of standard human double-checking
- Automatic traceability - matches, confirms and photographs the identity of the patient and unique item identifier on all labware, in every procedure
- Real-time workflow overview - gives instant 'traffic light' view of daily cycle tasks and patient cycle status
- Error prevention - alerts to mistake before an incorrect transfer of material takes place
- Compliance - assists clinics to comply with competent authority requirements; validation and risk assessment support included; fits closely with clinics' quality management accreditations
- Unbroken chain of custody - no gaps in the witnessing chain from registration through to cryo stores
- Photographic proof - every procedure is photographed and recorded
If undergoing the treatment with an IVF clinic using modern electronic witnessing system, whilst you are not able to see the procedures that take place within the laboratory, you can still be confident that every procedure carried out is witnessed, crossed-checked, photographed and kept in your records.