Quality of Health Information Presented in Direct-to-Consumer Telepharmacies for the Treatment of Patients With Erectile Dysfunction

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the quality of information and counseling for patients regarding erectile dysfunction across major direct-to-consumer telehealth platforms.

Materials and methods: We identified the five largest direct-to-consumer men's telehealth platforms by monthly site visits using Semrush, a web traffic analysis tool. We then analyzed the quality, reliability, accessibility, and readability of patient information on erectile dysfunction on each site using a series of validated metrics for evaluating online health information (Journal of the American Medical Association criteria, DISCERN instrument, LIDA instrument, and Flesch Readability Score).

Results: Five platforms (Hims, Roman, Lemonaid, BlueChew, Numan) were included in the study. Each site offered virtual care and counseling for patients with erectile dysfunction. Overall scores for information quality were highest for the two largest platforms (Hims, Roman) and lower on smaller sites (Lemonaid, BlueChew, Numan). LIDA scores for site accessibility also favored the larger platforms, while reliability and supplement performance was universally poor. Flesch readability scores for written content fell in the "fairly difficult" or "difficult" range for all platforms.

Conclusion: The quality of patient counseling varies widely between popular direct-to-consumer telehealth platforms. Men seeking online care for erectile dysfunction are at risk of receiving incomplete or inaccurate information, and urologists should be prepared to guide patients toward reliable sources.