Clinical Resources

Understanding ASRM Clinical Resources

Three Different Types of Documents:

Practice Committee Opinions

Evidence-informed guidance that reflects expert consensus and addresses clinical topics, including emerging and evolving practices.

Practice Guidelines

Evidence-based recommendations that answer specific clinical questions using rigorous, systematic review of the scientific literature.

Ethics Committee Opinions

Guidance that explores ethical considerations in reproductive medicine, offering balanced perspectives and recommendations grounded in established ethical frameworks.

Things in Common

All Three Document Types:

• Support high-quality, safe, and ethical reproductive care
• Are informed by research and expert insight
• Include review and input from medical professionals, patients, and stakeholders
• Are published in Fertility and Sterility
• Are freely available on the ASRM website
• Are shared in easy-to-use educational formats for professionals and patients

How Are They Different?

Practice Committee Opinions

• Address broader or emerging clinical topics
• Combine available evidence with expert consensus
• Offer guidance when evidence is still evolving

Practice Guidelines

• Focus on specific clinical questions
• Based on systematic review of high-quality evidence
• Provide clear recommendations for care

Ethics Committee Opinions

• Explore ethical questions and dilemmas in reproductive care
• Present balanced perspectives using ethical frameworks
• Help guide ethical decision-making, not clinical protocols

Together, these documents help support high-quality, evidence-based, and ethical care in reproductive medicine.

ASRM Guideline Development Process

1. Conceive
   1. Identify a topic
   2. Choose Task Force Chair and Members
2. Design
   1. Identify scientific questions and scope
   2. Define: inclusion/exclusion criteria, patient population, outcomes to measure
3. Search
   1. Perform search
   2. Use inclusion/exclusion criteria to complete the:
      i. Title and abstract screening and
      ii. Full-text screening
4. Assess
   1. Extract data
   2. Assign Quality of Evidence
   3. Assess Strength of Evidence
5. Synthesize
   1. Write summary/recommendations (S/R)
   2. Practice Committee review S/R
   3. Write draft 
   4. Practice Committee review craft
6. Approve
   1. Member review
   2. Board review
   3. CESO/CEO review
   4. Patient review/Expert review (if needed)
7. Disseminate
   1. Fertility and Sterility
   2. Website
   3. ECRI Guidelines Trust
   4. Derivative materials: podcast, QBoost, webinar, infographics