The digital environment in men's sexual disorders: A systematic review

Abstract Context The revolution of digital technologies constitutes a new setting for the patient–physician relationship and provides patients with a scenario of privacy and universal access to a vast amount of information. However, there is little information on how digital resources are used and what their advantages and disadvantages are. Objectives To explore the scope of the scientific research on the use of digital technology related to men's sexual disorders and to analyze the primary sources of digital information related to this field. Acquisition of evidence Systematic searches of the scientific literature, websites (10 first results in each google search) and mobile applications (apps). The searches combined the keywords “web” and “app” with “erectile dysfunction”, “premature ejaculation”, “Peyronie”, “male hypogonadism”, and “infertility”. Websites and apps were assessed for quality according to predefined indicators. Synthesis of evidence The qualitative analysis of the scientific literature included 116 manuscripts; 47% were clinical studies based on online survey, 9% dealt with digital treatments, 11% with quality/safety of digital healthcare environment, 3% with digital activity, 21% with patient empowerment, and 9% with online drug selling. Of 50 websites assessed for quality, 29 (58%) scored 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale. The app search yielded 40 apps; only 3 of them (8%) reported the identity of a health center or healthcare professional involved. Conclusions Patients and healthcare professionals may benefit from digital resources related to men's sexual disorders; however, a strong commitment by the scientific and healthcare community is essential to increase the quality of these resources.