How we verify clinic outcomes.
What we collect, where it comes from, how we cross-check it, and why a single per-clinic data card matters more than headline SART numbers.
What we collect
For each clinic on our directory, we attempt to collect three layers of data:
- Live-birth outcomes, stratified by patient age band (under 35, 35–37, 38–40, 41–42, 43+) and primary diagnosis (PCOS, diminished ovarian reserve, endometriosis, male factor, unexplained, tubal factor). Always reported as a percentage of intended retrievals — not the rosier "per transfer" denominator that excludes cancelled cycles.
- Lab quality metrics: day-5 blastocyst conversion rate, fertilization rate, thaw survival rate, embryologist credentials, lab accreditation (CAP, CLIA, ESHRE).
- Operational quality: weekend monitoring availability, after-hours access model, languages spoken, single-embryo-transfer policy, average days to first consult, willingness to accept outside (satellite) monitoring.
Where the data comes from
Every data point on a clinic's Outcomes Card carries a visible source label. Currently we accept four source classes:
Submitted by clinic staff via their claimed listing. Useful as a starting point, but we mark it explicitly as unverified until we cross-check.
The US Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology publishes annual clinic-level reports. We compare clinic-submitted figures against the most recent SART summary and flag any divergence.
For Canadian clinics, the Canadian Assisted Reproductive Technologies Register (CARTR-BORN) publishes provincial aggregates. We use this for plausibility checks where clinic-level data isn't released.
Numbers extracted from a clinic's own website, a peer-reviewed publication, or a regulator's public disclosure. The source URL is always included.
The "Verified by The Fertility Link" badge
When you see a sage-green Verified by The Fertility Link badge on a clinic's outcomes section, it means a member of our team personally:
- Opened the cited source URL and confirmed the figures match.
- Confirmed the denominator is intended retrievals (not transfers).
- Confirmed the reporting period and diagnosis stratification are correctly applied.
- Stamped the row with their reviewer ID and date.
Self-reported numbers without admin verification are still shown, but without the badge — with a clear "Self-reported, unverified" label.
Why this matters more than SART alone
SART data is the closest thing the US has to a fertility outcomes registry, and CARTR-BORN does similar work in Canada. But both have known limitations from a patient-decision standpoint:
- Self-reporting risk. Clinics submit their own numbers. There are known incentives to exclude cycles from the denominator (case-mix selection) to make outcomes look better than they actually are.
- Aggregation hides the cases you care about. Headline "live-birth rate per cycle" mixes 28-year-olds with no diagnosis and 42-year-olds with diminished ovarian reserve. Your prognosis lives in the diagnosis-stratified subgroup, not the headline.
- Lab + operational quality aren't in SART at all. Day-5 blast conversion, embryologist credentials, weekend monitoring — none of these appear in regulator reports, but all of them affect your experience and your outcome.
Our data card sits next to (not in place of) the SART/CARTR-BORN reports. We link to those sources where applicable, then add the texture they don't capture.
How clinics can share data with us
Clinics on Featured tier receive the Verified Outcomes badge on their listing once they share — and we verify — at least one row of outcomes data. To submit, email partners@thefertilitylink.com with your most recent SART or CARTR-BORN export. We accept CSVs, PDFs, and even screenshots; our team will transcribe and submit them for cross-checking before publication.
Sharing data is opt-in. Clinics that decline have a "data not yet shared" message on their listing — we don't fabricate, and we don't penalize, but patients deserve to know which clinics are transparent and which aren't.
Patient questions about a specific clinic's data
If you spot a figure that looks wrong, dated, or hard to interpret — tell us. Every Outcomes Card includes a sample-size disclosure (n = ...) so you can judge the statistical weight, and a link to the underlying source where one exists. Email hello@thefertilitylink.com with the clinic name and the specific cell in question; we re-verify within 5 business days.
References: ASRM Practice Committee guidelines on patient communication of success rates (2020). SART CORS Annual Clinic Report. CARTR-BORN Annual Report. CDC ART National Summary Report.