European Classification of Infertility Taskforce (ECIT) response to Habbema et al., ‘Towards less confusing terminology in reproductive medicine: a proposal’

The European Classification of Infertility Taskforce (ECIT) has been formed by ESHRE to develop a set of infertility-related codes (descriptions, interventions and outcomes) appropriate for computerization (http://www.ecit.info). In this article, ECIT reflects on previous suggestions in this Debate series, agreeing with the weaknesses of the current terminology used in reproductive medicine. Although ECIT is enthusiastic about the extension of terminology, caution is raised in abandoning familiar terms that may lead to greater rather than less confusion. Instead, ECIT suggests a way forward using structured computerized statements to retain current terms but extend their meaning.