Health professionals' role in the transfer of mosaic embryos after preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies

Research question: What are health professionals' clinical practices, views and self-rated competencies regarding the transfer of mosaic embryos?Design: This was a cross-sectional study using surveys.Results: Data were collected from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand. Ninety-five responses were analysed and reported. The results show that most health professionals (n = 62) discussed the transfer of mosaic embryos for different reasons and raised concerns regarding various risks. Although many health professionals were unsure whether mosaic embryos should be transferred, they were more inclined to encourage transfer if the scenario involved segmental losses compared with mosaicism involving duplication of the entire chromosome (i.e. trisomy 21) (e.g. OR = 0.21, P < 0.001; OR = 2.78, P = 0.04). The majority of health professionals would inform patients about the mosaicism to facilitate informed decision making. The factor that health professionals identified as most important when discussing the transfer of mosaic embryos was the specific chromosome involved. Different self-rated competencies were found among health professionals with different backgrounds. Geneticists and genetic counsellors had the highest self-rated competencies.Conclusions: Most health professionals were willing to discuss the mosaicism in the embryo with patients to facilitate informed decision making. However, health professionals' uncertainty towards the transfer of mosaic embryos indicated a lack of a standardized transfer policy. In addition, obstetricians, gynaecologists and those with multiprofessional backgrounds showed deficiencies in several self-rated competencies, suggesting that education targeted to these groups is needed to optimize the quality of care of women considering transfer of mosaic embryos.

Automated summary

Based on the analysis of survey data from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand, the majority of health professionals were willing to discuss mosaic embryos with patients to facilitate informed decision making. However, there was uncertainty among healthcare professionals regarding the transfer of mosaic embryos, indicating a lack of standardized transfer policy. Obstetricians, gynaecologists, and those with multiprofessional backgrounds showed deficiencies in several self-rated competencies, suggesting the need for targeted education in order to optimize the quality of care for women considering the transfer of mosaic embryos.