FAQs

About FertilityIQ

  • What type of information does FertilityIQ provide?

    FertilityIQ provides both educational courses and guides on every subject, as well as verified assessments on every US fertility doctor and clinic in the US. Our courses and lessons are built with experts from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Johns Hopkins and more. These courses break down how experts approach each issue, decision, and controversy.

    The assessments you’ll find on FertilityIQ are provided by unsolicited fertility patients, the majority of whom have been verified. Our data includes assessments of doctors, nurses and clinics, as well as information on treatment plans, protocols and costs. To provide context, we include medical, demographic and psychographic data from each respondent.

  • How comprehensive Is FertilityIQ?

    FertilityIQ focuses on Reproductive Endocrinology and fertility specialists and does not emphasize generalist OBGYNs. We believe we have profiles for 98% of fertility doctors and clinics and have received assessments for 70% of doctors and 90% of clinics.

  • Why am I having trouble finding doctors and clinics in my area?

    We typically search for doctors and clinics within a 75 mile radius of the zip code or region you specified. If you do not see any results, this could be based on one of two issues. The first is that no fertility specialist practices within that radius, which is not uncommon as fertility clinics tend to cluster within the US. Secondly, there may well be a fertility specialist within a 75 mile radius but we have failed to account for them. That may be because we previously did not consider that doctor a fertility specialist, or because we made a mistake. Please let us know if you think we have made an omission. Finally, you may see clinicians for whom we have no data. In that case, we have yet to receive an evaluation for that doctor. If you know people who have been treated in your area, please encourage them to contribute an assessment so we can begin to aggregate data and help more people in your community.

  • How were the rating criteria developed?

    We worked with fertility patients, respected clinicians, and subject matter experts to determine the best questions to ask, and the most thoughtful way to display our data. Our rating criteria includes best practices used in the consumer retail and medical industries and were informed by experts in the fields of fertility, data science, customer satisfaction, human psychology, and design.

  • What are some of your scores and how are they tabulated?

    The first type of scores we provide are simply averages of how patients answered certain questions. For example, the overall recommendation score shows the average, on a 0-10 scale, of how likely patients were to recommend a given doctor or clinic to a friend. We also provide proprietary scores that we have combined from several data points. For example, our score on doctor response time combines data on the duration that patients waited to hear back from a doctor or clinic when they called, and how long it took to schedule an appointment when they needed to be seen. Our score on attention to detail takes into account the volume and severity of medical and clerical errors that patients reported. In doctor and clinic profile pages, you can simply hover over any score or bar chart to learn more about that metric.

  • Is FertilityIQ influenced by doctors or clinics?

    Our only priority is to serve fertility patients. We do not accept marketing dollars from fertility doctors or clinics and do not allow them to either provide, or influence, content. At times we have conferred with doctors to ensure some of our medically-oriented questions were reasonably constructed.

    It's crucial to us to remain objective and to ensure the integrity of our content. This means you won't see advertisements on our site, nor do we accept any marketing dollars from third parties, including clinics.

  • What does The CDC Data Represent?

    We included success data published by the CDC. It is worth noting the CDC cautions readers from drawing comparison, likely given the data is 2–3 years old, comparing patient populations is challenging, and doctors and clinics may turn down hard cases or underreport. This success data represents the outcomes of intended egg retrievals that resulted in live birth deliveries when using a person's own eggs regardless of diagnosis. Our volume of total cycles includes both “fresh” and “frozen” cycles but the success data we display includes only “fresh” cycles. When a clinic has an insufficient volume of cycles within an age category (under 20), we mark data as “?” because the CDC does not represent this data in percentage form. All data is compared against the national average of clinics which perform a sufficient number of cycles within a category. It is common for clinics to merge and, as a result, we use the data that matches with the prevailing name of the clinic. We caution patients from reading too closely into this data as experts disagree on its reliability and utility.

Evaluating Your Doctor

  • What information will I be asked to provide?

    We will ask you to provide truthful data on the following categories:

    • Feedback on your doctor, nurse, and clinic
    • Summary of your fertility treatment and protocols
    • Basic medical and demographic information
    • Verification that you saw the doctors you are evaluating
  • What does an ideal assessment look like? Are there guidelines I should be aware of?

    You can access our complete Assessment Guidelines page here, where we outline key things to keep in mind while sharing your experience. If an assessment is submitted that does not adhere to FertilityIQ’s Assessment Guidelines, you may be asked to resubmit or consider modifications.

    What is most helpful to new patients is understanding your experience in your own voice. Details and examples are much more helpful than generalities. For example, rather than saying a doctor is “dedicated” it’s more helpful to provide an example, like “Doctor Smith was very dedicated to my care. She would personally call me whenever I had concerns, and even came in after hours to do an ultrasound when I was nervous about cramps following my positive pregnancy test.”

  • Can I review a urologist?

    Yes! In fact, our list of urologists is growing, so if you don’t see yours on our site, please write it in and we will be sure to get them added.

  • Can I review my OBGYN?

    At this time, we only add OBGYN’s who have a specialty in infertility. The majority of our assessments focus on Reproductive Endocrinology and fertility specialists. If you’d like your OBGYN to be considered, you may submit an assessment for our review, or email us at info@fertilityiq.com to determine if they would be eligible.

  • Can I review a Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, or Acupuncturist?

    No, at this time assessments are only displayed for physicians.

  • Who chose the questions I’ll be answering?

    Our questions were developed with the help of over 50 fertility patients, clinicians from three academic medical centers, and subject matter experts such as psychologists specializing in infertility. We occasionally add or remove questions depending upon feedback from patients and emerging developments in the field. Our goals are to capture as much information as possible during your session, all the while making the process as efficient and painless as possible.

  • Why am I asked to provide information about my background?

    We hate going online and not knowing which perspectives are relatable to us personally. We always want to know, “Is this written by somebody like me? Someone with my same preferences and lifestyle?” Or, in this case, someone with a similar fertility history? By providing some personal information, without identifying yourself by name publicly, your insight will be far more valuable to new patients.

  • How do I determine which fertility doctor at my clinic to evaluate?

    We recognize that many doctors may have participated in your care and so we’d like you to assess the doctor(s) who were primarily responsible in issuing a diagnosis and setting protocols. Often times this is the clinician you met during your initial consultation and may well be a different clinician than who performed a procedure.

  • How far along in treatment must I be to assess a doctor?

    We will accept assessments from any patient who did a consult or work-up with a doctor, all the way through undergoing surgery or medical treatment. We do not require you to have completed your course of treatment with a clinician to write an evaluation. You can make updates in the future as your treatment progresses – just email us at info@fertilityiq.com if you’d like to do so.

  • Why do you request I verify I was a patient of the clinic I’m evaluating?

    People will put a lot of faith in your opinions — they’ll use them to make one of the most important decisions of their lives. To be a trustworthy resource, we need to ensure that assessments are written by real patients, not a doctor’s competitors or a clinic’s marketing staff.

  • I don’t see my doctor or clinic on the website. Can I still submit an assessment?

    Yes! As long as the doctor is indeed a physician (and not an NP, RN, PA, etc.), you can write in the doctor's and clinic’s name. If it’s indeed a good match for our website, we will get it added to the directory!

  • Which documents confirm I was a patient of the clinic I’m evaluating?

    We’re looking for any piece of information demonstrating that you were a patient at the clinic you evaluated. Just pick whatever is easiest for you. This could include any of the following, or something similar:

    • An e-mail or correspondence from your clinic
    • An image of a clinic bill or credit card charge from the clinic
    • A screenshot of your patient portal for a clinic
    • An image of your protocol sheet with your name on it

    Please ensure that your first name, last initial, and the name of the clinic are legible. Feel free to redact other personal or sensitive information. All documents will solely be used for the purpose of confirming that you were a patient. We ask that you do not send anything with unredacted credit card or social security numbers.

  • Will my doctor know who I am?

    Your name, your contact information, and the name of your employer will not appear with your assessment. If, however, you have written details about your experience that are unique to you, there is a chance that your doctor will recognize who you are by reading this description. If you have a unique treatment history, for example 15 rounds of IVF at a small clinic, then your provider might know who is writing.

  • I don’t see my assessment online yet. Why isn’t assessment posted immediately?

    Our team, comprised of real life people, read every assessment to ensure it meets our Assessment Guidelines, and we're not quite as fast as robots (yet!). In the meantime, check your e-mail to make sure you haven't missed a note from us asking for more info or verification. Please don't re-submit – first time's the charm! We will contact you once your assessment is live.

  • What does “verified” mean?

    We mark an assessment as “verified” when we believe we have confirmed that the patient was treated by the doctor and clinic they are assessing. To do this, we ask patients to provide us a document from the clinic that clearly acknowledges they were treated as a patient. This can include a bill from the clinic, copy of a treatment plan, or correspondence. We then hand-review each document and in some circumstances, ask for an additional document. This simply just gives you, the reader, more confidence in the assessment they've provided.

  • I don’t see my doctor or clinic in the drop-down box of the assessment. Can I still review them?

    Yes! If your doctor or clinic isn’t displayed in the drop-down portion of the assessment, please use the “write-in” box to tell us who you are reviewing. We will ensure your assessment is linked to the correct doctor.

Purchasing Courses

  • Why does FertilityIQ charge for courses?

    FertilityIQ has been primarily funded by Jake and Deborah Anderson-Bialis since 2015. At this point, it’s important to remember FertilityIQ is only useful insofar as it endures to help future patients, and so we must collect revenue to remain sustainable. Our only priority is objectivity and to ensure the integrity of our content, so we refuse to place advertisements on FertilityIQ or accept marketing dollars from third parties, including clinics. Our only loyalty is to patients and they should be our only customers and stakeholders.

    We are charging for courses in order to bring you specific new sections regarding new topics, and helpful information for wherever you are in your fertility journey.

  • I can’t afford the course due to financial hardship. Is there anything you can do to help me?

    We understand fertility treatments create added financial stress. If you’d like to be considered for our financial hardship discount, please email our team at info@fertilityiq.com and we’d be happy to help if you're eligible.

    Please include in your emailed request your pre-taxed total household income, your zip code, and a first name.

  • Is there a way to purchase multiple courses at a discount?

    Yes, you can purchase pre-established bundled courses, or an all-access pass for all courses.

  • Can I use my HSA, FSA, or HRA to purchase a course?

    Yes! We accept HSA, FSA, and HRA cards at check-out.

    Since FertilityIQ provides comprehensive education for people managing a diagnosis of infertility and infertility is a diagnosable medical condition, many of our users may qualify to pay for courses with funds from their HSA/FSA/HRA accounts. Classes related to the promotion of general health or classes not required for your own medical treatment (taken to support a friend, etc.) are generally not eligible as qualified medical expenses.

    (Note: Please confirm any specific requirements for individual eligibility and reimbursement of your purchase with your benefits coordinator or your tax professional. We will send you a receipt upon check-out. If your plan requires a letter of medical necessity from your physician, you can find a template here.

  • What does your Money-Back Guarantee offer?

    We’re so confident of the quality of the FertilityIQ courses that we back them up with a 30-day, 100% money back guarantee. If for any reason you are not satisfied with an online lesson or course, contact us within 30 days of purchase and you will be given a full refund, no questions asked. Refunds will be made by the same method as the purchase.

  • Are doctor assessments available to the public free of charge?

    Yes! All doctor assessments are free to the public to read and review.

FertilityIQ as an Employer Benefit

  • I want to ask my employer to offer premium FertilityIQ content as a benefit. How do I do that?

    Many companies are now offering premium FertilityIQ content as an employee benefit, which would offer you unlimited employer-paid for access. If you have found FertilityIQ to be helpful, and would like us to contact your Human Resource Benefit team with options, please email us at chelsea@fertilityiq.com. Include:

    • The name of your employer,
    • A quick note about why FertilityIQ is an important resource and,
    • if you’d like to be named or remain anonymous.

Privacy

  • How do you keep my information secure?

    We know that your experience is a deeply personal one. Your name will never appear publicly with your insights. We manage and store your assessments on Qualtrics, where security practices ensure that the information you provide remains secure.

  • Do you take my privacy seriously?

    We take your privacy seriously, as we know that you’re sharing a very personal experience. Your name, initials, and contact information will never be displayed, and your employer name will never be linked to your assessment, to keep your assessment anonymous to the public.

  • What is your Privacy Policy?

    We are committed to privacy and will never sell your name or contact information. You can see more details in our Privacy Policy.

  • What is your Terms of Use?

    You can review our Terms of Use here.