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Guidelines & Resources > Guidance Documents > Clinical Practice Guidelines

Clinical Practice Guidelines

Clinical practice guidelines are developed to address meaningful gaps in clinical care where clear, evidence-based direction is needed. In selecting topics, priority is given to areas where guidance in fertility care does not already exist from other reputable professional societies; if robust international guidelines are available, Canadian-specific guidance is typically only pursued when differences in the Canadian healthcare context—such as policy, access, or population needs—warrant it.

All guidelines are grounded in the best available peer-reviewed scientific evidence. This means that one-off cases will exist that may not align with the guidance, noting that the guidance for professionals is based on a high level of scientific rigor free from commercial bias and applicable as a general rule. The guidance documents do not preclude practitioners from pursing increased investigations, workup and exploration as it relates to fertility-care in specific cases.

Given that development capacity is limited and contributions are voluntary (as CFAS is a volunteer non-profit), guidelines may be initiated either by CFAS experts who identify gaps through their clinical practice or research, or by the Clinical Practice Guideline Committee itself. Regardless of how a topic is identified, every guideline undergoes a rigorous, line-by-line review process, involving in-depth discussion, critical appraisal of the evidence, and careful consideration of the strength of each recommendation. Guidelines are reviewed every five years or when it has been determined by experts in the field that a significant change has taken place, such as new research findings, technological advancement etc. that warrants earlier review to help provide relevant field guidance.

Patients are encouraged to work closely with their healthcare providers to understand how both international and Canadian guidelines apply to their individual care, and to appreciate the broader context in which guidelines are developed. Practitioners are encouraged to share guidelines, and their development process, as a reference for patients searching for a more in-depth understanding of fertility care in Canada.

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