Direct-To-Consumer Commercial Virtual Care: A Scoping Review

February 2026 in “ BMJ Open ”

Sheryl Spithoff, Catriona A Arnott, Aydin Visanji, Prisha Bhavsar, Brigid Goulem, Lauren Lapointe‐Shaw, Katie Merriman, Danyaal Raza, Edward Xie, Lindsay Hedden, Ronaldo Silva, Aude Motulsky, James Shaw

Studysummary In this assessment of existing research on DTC commercial virtual care, it is highlighted that impacts on care quality, health outcomes, system use, and privacy ethics remain unclear, with potential bias noted due to industry financial connections.

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research Online Traffic Analysis of Direct-to-Consumer Websites for Hair Loss Treatment and Characterization of Finasteride Patients on a Platform in Germany: A Potential Paradigm Shift in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia

April 2023 in “Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology”

This study found that the increasing visits to online prescription platforms for MQ-based finasteride treatment in androgenetic alopecia suggest a significant shift in medical care towards digital health services.

research Patient-Reported Outcomes and Safety of Direct-to-Consumer Teledermatology for Finasteride in Male Androgenetic Alopecia

January 2023 in “DIGITAL HEALTH”

This study found that users of a German direct-to-consumer teledermatology platform for finasteride reported improvements in hair appearance and self-esteem, though 12% experienced treatment-related adverse events.