Evaluation of Patient-Oriented, Internet-Based Information on Gender-Affirming Hormone Treatments
PURPOSE:
Transgender
people have difficulty accessing gender-affirming hormone therapy (HT), a
medically necessary treatment, in part due to a lack of provider knowledge.
Patients often seek information on gender-affirming medical care using the
Internet. Patients who are better informed about their own care may receive
better care. This study evaluated the quantity and quality of online
information about HT using several existing and novel measures.
METHODS:
Structured
Google searches were conducted. Sites were evaluated using previously described
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), DISCERN, and Health On the
Net (HON) criteria, for citation of the Endocrine Society Guidelines and the
World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care
(SOC), and other topic-specific measures.
RESULTS:
Forty
sites were evaluated. The median JAMA score was 3.5/7, and the median DISCERN
score was 51/80. No sites held HON certification. Citation of the Endocrine Society
Guidelines and the WPATH SOC was inconsistent. Institutional sites had higher
DISCERN scores compared with other sites. The presence of a bibliography was
most associated with measures of quality.
CONCLUSION:
The
quality of online information about HT is inconsistent and limited in quantity.
Development of reliable online resources on HT for transgender patients is
essential. Broadening awareness of key guidelines from the Endocrine Society
and WPATH is essential.
- 1Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California-San Francisco , San Francisco, California.
- LGBT Health. 2016 Feb 1.
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