Robert Borowczyk: Not Every Non-Return Is a “Lost IVF Patient”
Robert Borowczyk, Founder and CEO of Irresist, shared on LinkedIn:
”I wouldn’t call someone a ‘lost IVF patient’ just because they didn’t return after their first consultation.
In a weekly clinic report, everyone who hasn’t come back may appear under the same word: ‘Lost.’
It can look like a list of people who need another call.
But those people may have very different reasons for not returning.
A 2025 study at one fertility center in Italy found that about one in four couples didn’t return after their first consultation between 2012 and 2021.
In its 2021 survey, some said they had become pregnant without treatment. Others had gone to another center.
I wouldn’t assume either group needs another call. And sometimes the clinic simply doesn’t know why someone stopped.
I’d rather see a clear record of what happened: ‘Did not return.’
A reason should be added only when it’s confirmed. ‘Unknown’ is a useful answer too.
A qualified team member can then decide whether another contact is appropriate, taking consent and the person’s circumstances into account.
Software can flag a case for review. It can’t know someone’s medical situation from silence.
Otherwise, one label can lead to the wrong follow-up and make a clinic count every non-return as a missed business opportunity.
What would you want to know before calling someone ‘lost’?”

Other articles featuring Robert Borowczyk on Fertility News.
-
Oct 23, 2026, 16:381 Week and Counting to the Next Campus Course on Male Infertility – ESHRE
-
Oct 23, 2026, 16:34Lynn Mason: Taking Our Research at ASRM Beyond the Conference and Into Patient Care
-
Oct 23, 2026, 16:23Devyanshi Dixit: Why Does Stress Sometimes Amplify Gynecological Pain?
-
Oct 23, 2026, 16:20Indira Fertility Academy Announces “ICSI Revisited” Webinar with Steven Fleming on October 30
-
Oct 23, 2026, 16:15Clara Estela Fernández: My Last Day at Eugin Group
-
Oct 23, 2026, 16:09Barb Collura: 5 Tips for Success at ASRM 2026
-
Oct 23, 2026, 15:40The 4th Edition of GenSpark Is Officially Underway at IVI Fertility Barcelona – IVI RMA Global Education
-
Oct 23, 2026, 15:23Devyanshi Dixit: GFWH 2026 Call For Delegates
-
Oct 23, 2026, 15:19Justin Houman: Who Needs the Varicocele Fixed?
