Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37147687›Full record

Trial reportBMC medical informatics and decision making2023

The development and phase 1 evaluation of a Decision Aid for elective egg freezing.

Sherine Sandhu, Martha Hickey, Raelia Lew, Karin Hammarberg, Sabine Braat, Franca Agresta, Anna Parle, Catherine Allingham, Eggsurance Collaborative Group, Michelle Peate

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled TrialClinical Trial, Phase I
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Elective Egg Freezing for Non-Medical Reasons (Scientific Impact Paper No. 63, 2026 Second Edition).BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Information about elective egg freezing on instagram reels: a content review.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2025
    Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Sherine SandhuDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Royal Women's Hospital, Level 7, Cnr Grattan Street & Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia. sherine.sandhu@unimelb.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-3294-3340
Martha HickeyDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Royal Women's Hospital, Level 7, Cnr Grattan Street & Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
Raelia LewDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Royal Women's Hospital, Level 7, Cnr Grattan Street & Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
Karin HammarbergSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Sabine BraatCentre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Franca AgrestaMelbourne IVF, Melbourne, Australia.
Anna ParleDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Royal Women's Hospital, Level 7, Cnr Grattan Street & Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
Catherine AllinghamDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Royal Women's Hospital, Level 7, Cnr Grattan Street & Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
Eggsurance Collaborative Group
Michelle PeateDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Royal Women's Hospital, Level 7, Cnr Grattan Street & Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
Royal Women's Hospital · AUMonash University · AUMyer Foundation · AUThe University of Melbourne · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundElective egg freezing decisions are complex. We developed a Decision Aid for elective egg freezing and conducted a phase 1 study to evaluate its acceptability and utility for decision-making.

methodsThe online Decision Aid was developed according to International Patient Decision Aid Standards and evaluated using a pre/post survey design. Twenty-six Australian women aged 18-45 years, interested in receiving elective egg freezing information, proficient in English, and with access to the internet were recruited using social media and university newsletters. Main outcomes were: acceptability of the Decision Aid; feedback on the Decision Aid design and content; concern raised by the Decision Aid, and; utility of the Decision Aid as measured by scores on the Decisional Conflict Scale and on a study-specific scale assessing knowledge about egg freezing and age-related infertility.

resultsMost participants found the Decision Aid acceptable (23/25), balanced (21/26), useful for explaining their options (23/26), and for reaching a decision (18/26). Almost all reported satisfaction with the Decision Aid (25/26) and the level of guidance  it provided (25/26). No participant reported serious concerns about the Decision Aid, and most would recommend it to other women considering elective egg freezing (22/26). Median Decisional Conflict Scale score decreased from 65/100 (Interquartile range: 45-80) pre-Decision Aid to 7.5/100 (Interquartile range: 0-37.5) post-Decision Aid review (p < 0.001). Median knowledge score increased from 8.5/14 (Interquartile range: 7-11) pre-Decision Aid to 11/14 (Interquartile range: 10-12) post-Decision Aid review (p = 0.01).

conclusionThis elective egg freezing Decision Aid appears acceptable and useful for decision-making. It improved knowledge, reduced decisional conflict and did not raise serious concerns. The Decision Aid will be further evaluated using a prospective randomised control trial. STUDY REGISTRATION: ACTRN12618001685202 (retrospectively registered: 12 October 2018).

Indexed as

Fertility PreservationAustraliaDecision Support TechniquesFemaleHumansKnowledgeProspective StudiesDecision AidDecision supportElective egg freezingFertility preservationInformationPhase 1Planned oocyte cryopreservation

Identifiers

PMID37147687
PMCPMC10161420
OpenAlexW4372331787

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.