Economic viability outcome of assisted reproduction technology setup Mathematical model.docVIP

Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2013, 3, 116-122 OJOG /10.4236/ojog.2013.31022 Published Online January 2013 (/journal/ojog/) Economic viability outcome of assisted reproduction technology setup: Mathematical model Hamza A. Eskandarani 1,2 1 2 Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia Banoon Assisted Reproduction Technology Centre, The Military Hospital, Bahrain Defence Force, Riffa, Bahrain Email: heskandarani@.sa Received 2 October 2012; revised 3 November 2012; accepted 12 November 2012 ABSTRACT their way into the mainstream of state funded health care and exist mainly in the private sector [3]. Treatment cycles, which involve IVF/ICSI procedures, are usually costly (Table 1). As a result, these forms of treatment may be beyond the financial means of many deserving couples who may subject themselves to less effective but available therapy such as tubal surgery for severely damaged fallopian tubes. Where there is some National Health Service provision for assisted conception, funding is severely limited which can lead to rationing of treat- ment based on factors such as age and the number of previous children [4]. Many IVF centres have been established round the world and as the need for infertility treatment services increased, the demand of opening new centres has picked up from its long hiatus at a frantic pace. However, this booming technological setup was not matched by enough performance outcomes studies and their relevant cost- effectiveness role which highlight the importance of the vitality of ART setup; thus reflecting on how well the concerned centres were performing. Such important studies warrant the need for a measurable entity which depends on parameters for evaluation and self-assess- ment. Objective: To develop an evaluation method measur- ing the economic viability outcom