From Conception to Connection: A Systematic Approach to Integrating Remote Patient Monitoring in Fertility Management

Abstract

The fertility journey, spanning preconception to postpartum, is critically underserved by traditional healthcare systems, which often fail to provide continuous, personalized care. This deficiency is particularly acute for individuals facing infertility, who must navigate a labyrinth of physiological and emotional challenges at each stage. The need for timely interventions and access to sustained, individualized care is central to addressing these issues.

Amid these challenges, remote patient monitoring (RPM) systems are emerging as a transformative approach in healthcare, facilitating continuous patient care and monitoring beyond the conventional settings of clinics and hospitals. Despite the increased adoption of RPM and telemedicine, a gap persists in integrating such systems within the domain of fertility care.

This thesis undertakes a comprehensive and systemic evaluation of the fertility landscape, examining barriers to effective treatments and outcomes and identifying key health metrics for each phase of the journey. Moreover, the work analyzes existing devices and technologies to determine their ability to measure these metrics and their technological readiness for remote monitoring. The work includes a review of RPM frameworks using system architecture methodologies, analyzing their architectures, technologies, and ecosystems to adapt them for fertility applications. Although numerous devices for remote testing are now available, their full potential in fertility care still needs to be explored, necessitating further development, clinical validation, and resolution of interoperability issues.

A patient-centered, customizable fertility-RPM framework is proposed, integrating the health metrics with essential architectural decisions aligned with stakeholder needs. This thesis offers foundational insights and operational guidelines for fertility institutions considering adopting RPM services, advocating for a holistic, connected, and continuous care model throughout the fertility journey. This work underscores the transformative potential of RPM in enhancing fertility care, paving the way for more integrated and effective fertility treatment solutions.