IVF laboratory management through workflow-based RFID tag witnessing and real-time information entry

Area of Science:

• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) laboratory management
• Reproductive medicine technology
• Embryology workflow optimization

Background:

• Current IVF laboratory practices, including dual-person inspection, are insufficient to prevent mix-ups and data entry errors.
• Manual data transcription is time-consuming, redundant, and can delay medical record completion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a workflow-based RFID tag witnessing and real-time information entry platform.
• To assess the platform's effectiveness in reducing mix-ups and improving work efficiency.
• To compare clinical outcomes and costs associated with RFID tags versus traditional paper labels.

Main Methods:

• A simulation experiment in semen preparation was conducted to determine the error correction rate of RFID tags.
• Work efficiency was evaluated based on operation and data entry times.
• Cycle costs were compared between paper labels and RFID tags.
• Clinical outcomes from 20,424 oocyte retrieval and 15,785 frozen embryo transfer cycles were retrospectively analyzed.

Main Results:

• RFID tag witnessing corrected 100% of simulated tag errors and did not negatively affect gamete/embryo operations.
• Data entry time was significantly reduced with RFID tags.
• No significant differences were found in fertilization, embryo quality, blastocyst rates, clinical pregnancy, or live birth rates between RFID and paper label groups.
• The cycle cost of RFID tags was substantially higher than paper labels.

Conclusions:

• RFID tag witnessing enhances operational safety and reduces the risk of mix-ups and errors in IVF laboratories.
• The platform significantly decreases data entry time, boosting overall work efficiency.
• Despite increased costs, RFID technology integration improves medical information integrity and embryologist confidence without compromising gamete/embryo quality or patient outcomes.