Developing a core outcome set for future infertility research: an international consensus development study

Abstract

Study Question: Can a core outcome set to standardize outcome selection, collection, and reporting across future infertility research be developed? Summary Answer: A minimum data set, known as a core outcome set, has been developed for randomized controlled trials (RCT) and systematic reviews evaluating potential treatments for infertility. What is Known Already: Complex issues, including a failure to consider the perspectives of people with fertility problems when selecting outcomes, variations in outcome definitions, and the selective reporting of outcomes on the basis of statistical analysis, make the results of infertility research difficult to interpret.