Review Methodology
Last updated: Q2 2026 · Next review cycle: Q3 2026
TRT Guide reviews online TRT clinics against a consistent 10-point rubric. Every clinic is evaluated on the same criteria, with the same weighting. Scores are not influenced by affiliate relationships or payment of any kind.
The 10-point rubric
- 01
Pricing transparencyDoes the clinic clearly state its cost? Are there hidden fees, separate lab charges, or pharmacy markups? We calculate the true monthly cost based on publicly available pricing.
- 02
Medical oversightWho prescribes? What are their credentials? Are prescriptions written by a licensed physician, or delegated to a nurse practitioner or physician assistant with limited oversight?
- 03
Medication menuWhat TRT formulations are available? Does the clinic offer ancillary medications (HCG, anastrozole, enclomiphene)? Is there access to compounded options?
- 04
Consultation experienceHow long does onboarding take? Is physician access async-only or can you speak with someone directly? How thorough is the intake process?
- 05
Lab work & monitoringWhat tests are included? How often are labs drawn? Are results reviewed by a physician and explained to the patient?
- 06
Shipping & fulfillmentHow reliable is medication delivery? Do they ship to your state? How are temperature-sensitive medications handled?
- 07
Side effect handlingIf you experience side effects (elevated estradiol, hematocrit issues, etc.), how does the clinic respond? Are protocol adjustments included at no extra cost?
- 08
Customer supportHow do you reach support? What's the typical response time? Is support US-based or outsourced?
- 09
Cancellation flexibilityHow easy is it to cancel? Are there long-term commitments, cancellation fees, or retention attempts? We test the actual cancellation flow.
- 10
Overall valueAfter 6 months of treatment, what is the total cost? Is the clinical outcome worth the price? We calculate a total cost estimate and compare it against outcomes.
Scoring process
Each category is scored 1–10. Scores are assigned based on a combination of:
- First-hand experience: Where possible, our team goes through the actual onboarding process, consults with the clinic's physicians, and follows the full patient journey.
- Public information review: We review pricing pages, physician bios, state licensing records, and BBB/FTC complaints.
- Third-party signal: We review app store ratings, Trustpilot scores, Reddit discussions, and user forums. Signal is weighted but not the primary source.
Scoring note: All categories are weighted equally. We do not weight "pricing transparency" higher than "medical oversight" or vice versa. A clinic that is cheap but unsafe scores poorly; a clinic that is expensive but unreliable also scores poorly.
Verdict structure
Every review ends with a clear verdict: buy, skip, or conditional. The verdict is based on the composite score and qualitative assessment. We recommend "buy" when the clinic's value proposition clearly outweighs its trade-offs for most patients. We recommend "skip" when significant quality or safety concerns exist. "Conditional" means the clinic is good for a specific subset of users but not for everyone.
Frequency
We update all reviews quarterly. Between quarterly cycles, we monitor for significant changes (price increases, physician departures, quality complaints) and may issue an interim update if warranted.
Criteria changes
The rubric is not static. If a new category of service (e.g., peptide therapy, AI-guided dosing) becomes standard in the industry, we may add it to future reviews. Existing reviews retain their original rubric.
Questions about methodology?
Email us at editorial@trtguide.com. We're happy to explain any specific scoring decision.