Inception Research Institute, part of Inception Fertility (Inception), today announced a new partnership with Frame, the collaborative care platform transforming access to reproductive and fertility care, to launch a landmark study focused on one of the most urgent challenges in fertility care: the emotional burden of treatment and its impact on patient retention.
Infertility is one of the most emotionally distressing experiences a person can face — on par with the psychological toll of a cancer diagnosis. Yet despite its intensity, most patients navigate fertility treatment without the emotional support they need. Emotional overwhelm — not cost or access — is the primary reason patients drop out, even with full insurance coverage. With more than half of patients discontinuing treatment, this study highlights a critical, often overlooked solution: addressing emotional needs to help more people stay in care and reach their goal of building a family.
“At Inception, we believe that the patient experience is just as important as the clinical protocol,” said Dr. Alice Domar, chief compassion officer at Inception and director of the Inception Research Institute. “Infertility is one of the most emotionally complex experiences someone can go through. Partnering with Frame — an organization that not only understands that but is deeply committed to studying it — is incredibly exciting. I’ve waited a long time to see this level of innovation in patient experience backed by a commitment to rigorous research.”
The six-month study will include patients across six of Inception’s Prelude Fertility clinics and will randomly assign half of the participants to immediate use of Frame to compare to a control group receiving standard care. Key outcomes will include patient retention, time to treatment, and psychological well-being.
“At Inception, the patient experience is our top priority,” said TJ Farnsworth, founder and CEO of Inception Fertility. “We invest in research and partnerships like this because we believe emotional support is not a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have. This study is about taking action to better serve our patients in every way, not just medically, but as whole people.”
Frame’s virtual care and AI-powered concierge model supports patients and providers across the entire fertility journey — from OB/GYNs and primary care to fertility clinics. The platform offers personalized virtual care and emotional support, holistic education, and end-to-end navigation from the first questions about fertility through treatment.
“We’re honored to partner with Inception and the Principal Investigator, Dr. Domar, to bring deeper insight into what patients really need during one of the hardest times in their lives,” said Jessica Bell van der Wal, co-founder and CEO of Frame.
“As a former infertility patient, I know firsthand the stress doesn’t stop at diagnosis — it continues through every appointment, decision, and outcome. That’s why we built Frame: to ensure patients feel supported emotionally and to rigorously measure what works. This study reflects our commitment to learning from real patient experiences, validating the impact of emotional support, and helping more people stay on the path to building their families.”
About Inception Fertility Research Institute
Established in 2022, the Inception Research Institute advances the field of reproductive medicine by addressing the industry’s most urgent needs—including pharmacological innovation, device development, professional advancement, access to care, and studies exploring how controllable factors such as emotional health and lifestyle habits affect treatment outcomes.
The Institute supports research across The Prelude Network™ — Inception’s national network of top-tier fertility clinics — by centralizing services such as IRB applications, contract review, and patient recruitment. Research conducted through the Institute has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals and presented at global forums such as ASRM and ESHRE, including a landmark 15-year study on egg freezing.
With the largest number of current studies in North America focusing on improving the patient experience, enhancing patient-centered care, researching the relationship between stress and treatment outcome, and investigating the most effective stress-reduction strategies, the Inception Fertility Research Institute continues to be an industry leader.
For more information, visit inceptionfertility.com/inception-research-institute.
To learn about active studies led by the Inception Research Institute, visit fertiltystudies.com.
About Frame
Founded in 2021, Frame is transforming the fertility journey by helping patients get the answers and guidance they need — faster. Designed for OB/GYNs, primary care physicians, and fertility specialists, Frame combines AI-powered tools, care navigation, and patient education to streamline the fertility journey — improving outcomes while easing the burden on clinical teams. Frame partners with over 5,000 OB/GYN, primary care and reproductive endocrinologists or other specialists nationwide. Learn more at www.frameyourfuture.com.
