Mastectomy and breast augmentation outcomes among nonbinary, transgender, and cisgender adults.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate epidemiologic characteristics and postoperative complications among nonbinary, transgender, and cisgender adults undergoing mastectomy or breast augmentation. Comparable postoperative complication rates were observed between gender modality cohorts undergoing breast augmentation, but higher complication rates were observed among cisgender patients following mastectomy, likely due to variations in clinical indications and technique. These results underscore the safety of chest surgery for gender-diverse patients.

Impacts of Residential Segregation and Comorbidity on Racial Disparities in Acute Care Utilization.

Purpose: To examine whether living in highly segregated communities or having comorbidity is associated with an increased risk of acute use of emergency and inpatient services (i.e., acute care utilization [ACU]) among racial minorities.

Gender-Affirming Surgery Price Transparency and Online Information Availability in US Hospitals.

Background: Many transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals rely on online resources to obtain gender-affirming surgery (GAS) information. In 2021, US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandated that hospitals disclose prices for common services and procedures. The aim of this study was to assess the online information and price availability for GAS in US-based hospitals.

Collecting patient-reported outcomes data in transgender and gender diverse adults seeking surgery: barriers and facilitators from the patient perspective.

Purpose: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) evaluate how patients feel and function. While several prior studies have explored barriers and facilitators to integrating PROM data collection in clinical workflows from patient perspectives, research on this topic remains limited for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) patients seeking gender-affirming surgery. The objective of this qualitative study was to identify barriers and facilitators to collecting PROM data in TGD patients undergoing surgery from the patient perspective.

Research trends among new investigators at ISOQOL: a bibliometric analysis from 2019 to 2023.

Background: New investigators (NI), encompassing graduate students, recent doctoral graduates, and early-career faculty, are instrumental in advancing quality of life (QoL) research through innovative methodologies and diverse perspectives. Within the International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL), the New Investigators Special Interest Group (NI-SIG) fosters collaboration and supports this community. This study utilizes bibliometric analysis to examine the contributions of NI-SIG members, focusing on publication trends, collaboration patterns, and thematic developments in QoL research.

Understanding data visualization techniques in qualitative studies used to develop and validate patient-reported outcome measures: a targeted literature review.

Purpose: Qualitative data that reflects patients' experiences are the foundation of any patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) development and validation study; however, there is limited understanding of the type of data visualization techniques that facilitate communication of this data. The goal of this targeted literature review was to investigate data visualization methods that have been used in published PROM development and validation literature to report qualitative results.

Methods: A literature search in OVID via MEDLINE was conducted among the top 10 non-disease-specific journals publishing PROM qualitative development and validation studies.

Development and Assessment of a Patient-Reported Outcome Instrument for Gender-Affirming Care.

Importance: There is an urgent need for a validated gender-affirming care-specific patient-reported outcome measure (PROM).

Objective: To field test the GENDER-Q, a new PROM for gender-affirming care, in a large, international sample of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults and evaluate its psychometric properties.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This international cross-sectional study was conducted among TGD adults aged 18 years and older who were seeking or had received gender-affirming care within the past 5 years at 21 clinical sites across Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, and Spain; participants were also recruited through community groups (eg, crowdsourcing platform, social media).

Core competencies for healthcare practitioners and clinics providing gender-affirming care from the patient perspective: An international qualitative study.

Purpose: Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals face significant barriers to healthcare access, including healthcare providers' (HCPs) lack of knowledge on TGD-specific healthcare issues, discrimination, and mistreatment. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health recommends integrating TGD health competencies into training. However, specific guidance on what these competencies should be, particularly from a patient-centered lens, is lacking.

Health-related social needs mitigate ethnoracial inequities in patient-reported mental health.

Purpose: To characterize the relationship between ethnoracial identity, health-related social needs (HRSNs), and mental health (MH), and to examine the mediating role of HRSNs on the relationship between MH and ethnoracial identity.

Methods: Data from 30,437 adults who were seeking care within Mass General Brigham integrated health system in United States and had completed PROMIS Global Health within three years of their most recent HRSNs screening between March 1, 2018 and January 31, 2023 were included. The presence and magnitude of PROMIS Global MH score differences for six ethnoracial groups (White non-Hispanic, White Hispanic, Black (Hispanic and non-Hispanic), Asian non-Hispanic, Other non-Hispanic and Other Hispanic (includes Asian Hispanic) was assessed.

Understanding Stakeholder Priorities in Dupuytren Disease: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Currently, there is no recommended standard set of outcomes to report in Dupuytren disease treatment studies, nor are there guidelines on how the outcomes themselves should be reported. This study aimed to elicit the most salient issues for patients living with and undergoing treatment for Dupuytren disease, as well as for the hand surgeons, occupational therapists, and physical therapists caring for these patients.

Methods: A qualitative, interpretive description study employing one-on-one semi-structured interviews was conducted.

International study to develop a patient-reported outcome measure to evaluate outcomes of gender-affirming care - the GENDER-Q.

Background: To meaningfully understand outcomes of gender-affirming care, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) that are grounded in what matters to individuals seeking care are urgently needed. The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive PROM to assess outcomes of gender-affirming care in clinical practice, research, and quality initiatives (the GENDER-Q).

Methods: Internationally established guidelines for PROM development were used to create a field test version of the GENDER-Q.

Breast Reduction Epidemiology and Complications in Nonbinary, Transgender, and Cisgender Adults.

Introduction: Research in gender-affirming chest surgery has primarily compared cisgender versus transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people, without specifically addressing nonbinary people. This study will assess surgical complications between cisgender, transgender, and nonbinary adults undergoing breast reductions.

Methods: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program databases from 2015 to 2021 were used to identify TGD patients who underwent breast reduction (Current Procedural Terminology code: 19318) and cisgender patients who underwent this procedure for cosmesis or cancer prophylaxis.

Psychometric validation of the FACE-Q Aesthetics Satisfaction with Temples scale in individuals seeking minimally invasive treatment to improve temple hollowing.

Background: The FACE-Q Aesthetics is used extensively to measure patient reported outcomes for minimally invasive and surgical facial aesthetic treatments. We recently developed a new FACE-Q scale to assess satisfaction with the appearance of the temples.

Aim: The aim of this study was to field test the FACE-Q Satisfaction with Temples scale to examine its psychometric properties.

Improving the Impact of BODY-Q Scores Through Minimal Important Differences in Body Contouring Surgery: An International Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: The BODY-Q is a widely used patient-reported outcome measure for comprehensive assessment of treatment outcomes specific to patients undergoing body contouring surgery (BCS). However, for the BODY-Q to be meaningfully interpreted and used in clinical practice, minimal important difference (MID) scores are needed. A MID is defined as the smallest change in outcome measure score that patients perceive as important.

Temporary Declines and Demand Resurgence: Gender-Affirming Surgery Volume and Complication Trends During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted surgical volume reductions due to lockdown measures. This study evaluates COVID-19's impact on gender-affirming surgery (GAS) volume and complications from the pandemic onset through the recovery period.

Methods: The 2019-2021 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program databases were queried for transgender or gender-diverse patients using ICD-10 codes.

A Content and Readability Analysis of Genitourinary and Sexual Health-Related Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Gender-Affirming Care.

Objective: To the evaluate the readability and comprehensiveness of genitourinary and sexual health-related patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) used in gender-affirming care.

Methods: Common PROMs that measure genitourinary and sexual health-related outcomes in gender-affirming care literature were identified from six recent systematic reviews. Readability analysis was completed at the level of individual items and full scale using established readability assessment tool, including Flesch Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning Fog Score (GF), Coleman Liau Index (CLI), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Index.

Iterative qualitative approach to establishing content validation of a patient-reported outcome measure for arm lymphedema: the LYMPH-Q Upper Extremity Module.

Background: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BRCL) is one of the most common causes of upper extremity (UE) lymphedema in developed nations and substantially impacts health-related quality of life. To advance our understanding of the epidemiology and treatment of BRCL, rigorously developed and validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are needed. This study aimed to demonstrate the iterative content validity of a modular UE lymphedema-specific PROM called the LYMPH-Q UE module.

Minimal important difference in weight loss following bariatric surgery: Enhancing BODY-Q interpretability.

BODY-Q is a patient-reported outcome measure for comprehensive assessment of outcomes specific to patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The clinical utility of BODY-Q is hampered by the lack of guidance on score interpretation. This study aimed to determine minimal important difference (MID) for assessment of BODY-Q.

Extracting big data from the internet to support the development of a new patient-reported outcome measure for breast implant illness: a proof of concept study.

Purpose: Individuals with health conditions often use online patient forums to share their experiences. These patient data are freely available and have rarely been used in patient-reported outcomes (PRO) research. Web scraping, the automated identification and coding of webpage data, can be employed to collect patient experiences for PRO research.

Readability analysis and concept mapping of PROMs used for headache disorders.

Objective: To assess the readability and the comprehensiveness of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) utilized in primary headache disorders literature.

Background: As the health-care landscape has evolved toward a patient-centric model, numerous PROMs have been developed to capture treatment outcomes in patients with headache disorders. For these PROMs to advance our understanding of headache disorders and their treatment impact, they must be easy to understand (i.

Use of patient-reported outcome measures after breast reconstruction in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly administered in high-income countries to monitor health-related quality of life of breast cancer patients undergoing breast reconstruction. Although low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face a disproportionate burden of breast cancer, little is known about the use of PROMs in LMICs. This scoping review aims to examine the use of PROMs after post-mastectomy breast reconstruction among patients with breast cancer in LMICs.