A key element of developing this Model of Care, is evaluation of the evidence base. This work is supported by HSE National Library Services.

Evidence base is a term that encompasses many elements,

• Clinical research such as clinical trials or epidemiological studies.
• Audit data.
• "Grey literature"

"Grey literature" refers to clinical data that may have been generated but not published. For example, it may have been presented at an academic conference but not published. As it has not been published, it has not been put through a peer review process and so should be interpreted carefully.

In the development of our Model of Care, we will review the evidence base with two initial questions in mind:

• What clinical needs are known to exist in the population that are attending, or who may attend, a Gender Healthcare Service?
• What are the clinical outcomes of medical transition?

Collection of the evidence base has begun and is ongoing. As this work progresses, we will be updating this page.

The explainer could be “The peer review process is the standard process used to inform decision making for scientific publications. Peer review involves an assessment by colleagues in a relevant field of expertise with an goal of advising the editor of the specific academic journal if the academic paper is of sufficient quality to merit publication.

Peer Review should be via independent individuals with expertise in the area, who are unconnected to both the decision-making body and those who have prepared the material being assessed.