Session 148: Mastering Patient Conversations in IVF
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Session 148: Mastering Patient Conversations in IVF
3pm ET/ 7pm UK/ 8pm CET, Tuesday 11th Mar 2025
Moderators: Simon Lumsdon( FertilAi), Andrew Thomson (IVF Scientific Advisory Service Ltd)
Panelist: Elina Roumian
Presenters:
Dr Sarah Lensen: IVF Add-Ons: Hope, Hype, and Hard Evidence
Madison Bailey: “Breaking Bad News- The trainee’s perspective"
Dr Lize Leunens: Polyparenthood and coparenting: the future
for fertility centres?
Q and A
Synopsis
Mastering Patient Conversations in IVF was a dynamic and insightful webinar that explored the complexities of communication in fertility care. Held on March 11, 2025, the session brought together leading experts in reproductive medicine, embryology, and patient counseling to discuss the critical yet often overlooked skill of engaging with IVF patients. Moderated by Simon Lumsdon and Andrew Thomson, the discussion addressed the challenges fertility professionals face in navigating sensitive conversations, balancing technological advancements with empathetic communication, and ensuring transparency in patient care.
The event featured thought-provoking presentations, beginning with Dr. Sarah Lensen, who examined the role of IVF add-ons and the fine line between hope, hype, and hard evidence. She highlighted how digital tools and AI-driven analysis could support both clinicians and patients in making evidence-based decisions. Madison Bailey followed with a compelling talk on breaking bad news from a trainee’s perspective, underscoring the need for communication training within embryology education. She emphasized how virtual reality simulations and AI-assisted coaching could help practitioners develop confidence in handling difficult conversations.
Dr. Lize Leunens then provided an in-depth look at the evolving concept of polyparenthood and co-parenting, discussing the legal, ethical, and emotional complexities fertility centers must address. She explored how digital consent platforms and AI-driven guidance could streamline decision-making while preserving the human element in reproductive counseling.
Panelist Elina Roumian contributed valuable insights on how technology is shaping patient. She emphasized the importance of striking a balance between automation and personal interaction to maintain trust and emotional support in fertility treatment.
The webinar concluded with an engaging Q&A session, where participants explored the ethical considerations of AI-driven patient communication, the necessity of structured communication training for embryologists, and the future of technology-enhanced fertility care. The discussion underscored that while digital innovations can enhance transparency and accessibility, they must complement—not replace—the human touch in IVF communication.
Mastering Patient Conversations in IVF provided a critical platform for professionals to reflect on their evolving role in patient engagement, reinforcing the need for both technological proficiency and compassionate communication in modern fertility care.
Simon Lumsdon
Simon Lumsdon is VP of Sales at FertilAI, specializing in fertility technology and med-tech innovation. With experience at Lighthouse Fertility, Overture Life, and Vitrolife, he has a strong background in international business, strategy, and biotechnology. A graduate of Newcastle University and London Business School, Simon is passionate about using AI, genomics, and automation to improve infertility treatment. His work focuses on making fertility care more accessible and efficient through cutting-edge technology.
Elina Roumian
Elina is a Senior Clinical Embryologist and Education Co-ordinator at SIRT (Scientists in Assisted Reproductive Technology) in Australia. Currently working for IVFAustralia in Sydney and in one of the busiest labs in the state of NSW. Her career in embryology started in 2006 after she completed a master’s degree in assisted reproduction from the University of Nottingham. Since then, she has worked in three different countries, Greece, South Africa, and Australia and have been exposed to different lab systems and cultures. The last couple of years she is working on developing continuous professional development (CPD) programs for scientists and clinics within the Virtus health organisation.
Andrew Thomson
Andrew is a highly decorated Consultant Clinical Embryologist who has worked at and helped establish some of the most successful IVF clinics including Oxford Fertility and London Women’s Clinic. He co-designed Avenues Centre for Reproductive Health in London, the first clinic ever to use a full end-to-end AI-driven digital infrastructure. He now operates his own consultancy company, IVF Scientific Advisory Service, where he provides bespoke project management to clinics worldwide and is currently designing new clinics in three different continents. He has adopted a quality management heavy, evidence-based approach to ART and is a frequently internationally invited speaker.
He was just the third person to be awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath) and Fellowship of the Academy for Healthcare Science (FAHCS) and was also awarded the Claire Gillott prize by the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists for outstanding contribution in 2020.
Dr Sarah Lensen
Dr Sarah Lensen is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Newborn Health at the University of Melbourne. She has a background and interest in women's health, particularly infertility and IVF. Dr Lensen is particularly interested in improving evidence-based healthcare of women. She has been involved in several large clinical trials evaluating infertility treatment options, including intrauterine insemination and endometrial scratching for IVF. Dr Lensen is an editor for Human Reproduction, Fertility and Sterility, and the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group, and has published many systematic reviews and meta-analyses. She has a keen interest in clinical trial and research methodology. She was involved in an international process to establish a core outcome set for infertility trials, and a process to develop key priorities for research.
Her current research aims to understand why unproven treatments options are used in reproductive medicine, and to develop evidence-based resources to assist decision making.
Madison Bailey:
Madison is an embryologist working towards HCPC registration via the STP Equivalence route, and is based at Avenues in London, the first clinic in the world to use a fully end-end AI-driven digital infrastructure that captures the most comprehensive fertility journey dataset.
Madison graduated with a First Class Degree in Biomedical Science and was recognised with several awards, obtaining the highest results across her cohort. She has also earned a Distinction-level Master's in Reproduction and Development from the University of Bristol, where she was once again awarded the Gordon Stirrat Prize for achieving the highest overall grade in her cohort.
While at Avenues, Madison has been a key advocate for the clinic’s digitised approach to patient care, presenting research at Fertility 2025 highlighting the implementation of CASA systems throughout the diagnostic andrology pathway. Madison is an exceptionally dedicated embryologist, with a strong drive to continue advancing in her field.
Dr Lize Leunens:
Dr. Lize Leunens is an experienced clinical psychologist and systemic psychotherapist who specializes in the field of reproductive medicine. Her PhD thesis researched the development of the first cohort of children born after ICSI. She works for over 10 years in the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at UZ Brussel where she is responsible for the screening and counseling of fertility patients, with a specific focus on single mothers, donor conception, surrogacy and co-parenting. She also counsels individual patients, couples and families in her private practice.
