This study aimed to externally validate the prognostic model presented by T
empleton in 1996 for live births resulting from IVF treatment. Data were us
ed from the University Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, from March 1991
to January 1999. The predictive capacity of the model in our population di
scriminated between those women with a low probability of success and those
with a relatively high probability. Despite these encouraging findings, ou
r data show that implementation of the model in clinical decision-making re
mains difficult. The Templeton model is not applicable or usable in daily c
linical practice, because the model did not give more information about the
prognosis for the vast majority of the patients. Therefore, the search for
better prognostic factors resulting in better predictive models should con
tinue.