A fertility doctor is under fire for failing to identify a woman was pregnant before putting her on an IVF cycle.
According to a Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) report published on Monday, the doctor went ahead with beginning the IVF cycle, despite receiving blood test results showing an abnormally high progesterone level.
The woman and her husband, patients of Fertility Associates, had been trying to conceive by undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
On June 16 2017, a blood test was taken to determine whether or not the woman was in the correct stage of her menstrual cycle.
Results of the test showed that her estrogen results were normal, but that her progesterone result was higher than expected - indicating a possibility the woman might already be pregnant.
Despite this, the doctor went ahead with prescribing the woman medication to begin her IVF cycle.
After taking the prescribed medication for ten days, it was discovered she was already pregnant.
The woman and her husband contacted Fertility Associates outlining their concern for their failure to identify the woman was pregnant.
In their response to these concerns, they did not mention the woman's high progesterone levels and subsequently failed to provide them with the progesterone results from the blood test.
Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall found Fertility Associates in breach of the consumers' rights code for wrongly starting the woman on an IVF cycle - despite her blood test results.
Wall noted that an open disclosure of the error was not taken until the woman and her husband complained to HDC.
"This case highlights the importance of robust test ordering protocols and effective communication between providers to ensure quality of services, as well as the importance of openly and honestly disclosing information about errors that occur during the provision of a healthcare service," Wall said.
The Deputy Commissioner recommended that Fertility Associates review HDC's guidance on open disclosure policies and identify areas for improvement in its practice.
They also suggested Fertility Associates provide the woman and her family with an apology.
