Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40074262›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2025

Outcome measurement for gender-affirming care in Canada: a systematic review.

Liam Jackman, Cynthia Chan, Micon Garvilles, Rakhshan Kamran

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Liam JackmanUniversity of Toronto Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-4475-7893
Cynthia ChanDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Micon GarvillesDepartment of Orthopaedics Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford Nuffield, Oxford, UK.
Rakhshan KamranDepartment of Orthopaedics Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford Nuffield, Oxford, UK rakhshan.kamran@hertford.ox.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4298-4848

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionGender-affirming care (GAC) includes interventions aimed at supporting an individual's gender identity. Canada is experiencing an increase in referrals for GAC, higher than any other health service; therefore, there is a need for a systematic approach to health outcome measurement to effectively evaluate care. This review aims to analyse health outcome measurement in Canadian GAC, focusing on what is measured, how it is measured and associated barriers and enablers.

methodsA comprehensive search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus and CINAHL, up to 26 December 2023. Inclusion criteria were original articles involving transgender or gender-diverse (TGD) patients receiving gender-affirming care in Canada.

resultsA total of 4649 articles were identified with 64 included, representing 6561 TGD patients. Most studies were conducted in Ontario (52%), British Columbia (19%) and Quebec (11%). The most common forms of GAC provided were hormonal (36%) and surgical (27%). Barriers to outcome measurement include that most studies (61%) did not use patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). When PROMs were used, most did not capture gender-related constructs (eg, gender dysphoria). Barriers to accessing care included stigma, discrimination, lack of clinician knowledge, geographic, socioeconomic and institutional barriers.

conclusionThis review reveals gaps in outcome measurement for GAC, particularly underutilisation of PROMs and inconsistent outcome measurement and reporting. There is a need to systematically implement PROMs, including those measuring gender-related constructs, to promote patient-centred care. This review provides evidence-based recommendations for improving health outcomes for TGD individuals in Canada.

Indexed as

Outcome Assessment, Health CarePatient Reported Outcome MeasuresTransgender PersonsCanadaFemaleGender-Affirming CareHumansMaleClinical Decision-MakingHealth EquityHealth ServicesHealth Services for Transgender PersonsQuality in healthcare

Identifiers

PMID40074262
PMCPMC11904330

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.