LowTAdviser Editorial Scoring Rubric
Purpose: This rubric is how every TRT clinic on LowTAdviser is evaluated. Publish this on your `/editorial-standards/` page so readers (and Google quality raters) can see your methodology. Reference it from every clinic review with a sentence like “Scored using our editorial rubric.”
—
How scoring works
Each clinic is scored 1–10 on eight weighted criteria. The weighted average produces an overall score out of 10, displayed as the headline rating on every review. Scores are reviewed quarterly or whenever a clinic changes pricing, expands states served, or modifies its medical leadership.
# Criterion Weight What it measures
1 Pricing transparency 20% Whether the actual monthly cost is disclosed publicly before signup, including labs, meds, shipping, and required commitments.
2 Medical oversight 20% Whether a named medical director with verifiable credentials leads the practice, the clinician model used (MD/DO vs NP/PA), and whether live video consults occur or only async messaging.
3 Lab thoroughness 15% Number of biomarkers tested at baseline, whether two morning draws are required (per Endocrine Society guidance), follow-up testing cadence, and whether labs are included in pricing.
4 Treatment variety 15% Range of testosterone delivery methods offered (injection, cream, oral, pellet, patch) plus access to ancillary medications (HCG, enclomiphene, anastrozole).
5 Patient support 10% Speed and quality of clinician communication, availability of unlimited messaging, response time to support tickets, and whether a real human is reachable.
6 Independent reviews 10% Verified review count and average rating across Trustpilot, Google, and BBB, weighted toward recency. Reddit sentiment is reviewed but not scored numerically.
7 Geographic availability 5% Number of US states served, with a deduction for clinics that exclude common states without disclosure on their landing page.
8 Cancellation and refund 5% Whether minimum commitments are required, refund availability, and whether canceling is self-service or requires phone calls.
—
Scoring scale (applies to every criterion)
Score Meaning
9–10 Best in category. Demonstrably better than 90% of competitors evaluated.
7–8 Strong. Meets industry best practice with minor gaps.
5–6 Acceptable. Functional but with at least one notable weakness.
3–4 Below average. A serious concern a prospective patient should weigh.
1–2 Poor. Should disqualify the clinic for most readers.
A clinic cannot receive an overall recommendation from LowTAdviser if it scores below 5 on any single criterion, regardless of weighted average. This is published on the editorial standards page as a hard floor.
—
Detailed criteria
1. Pricing transparency (20%)
The single most common complaint in TRT subreddits is “I didn’t know it would cost this much.” Pricing transparency is therefore weighted highest.
Score Standard
9–10 Full monthly cost (labs + meds + consults + shipping) shown publicly without an account or quiz. No required minimum commitment, or one is clearly disclosed before checkout.
7–8 Base price published, but one cost (typically labs) requires inquiry. No surprise upsells.
5–6 Pricing requires completing an intake quiz or providing email. All-in cost is calculable from disclosed parts.
3–4 Pricing only revealed during or after consultation. Hidden fees discovered post-signup.
1–2 No public pricing. Tactics like consultation fees that auto-roll into subscriptions.
2. Medical oversight (20%)
YMYL content rules require demonstrating medical expertise. Clinics that hide their clinicians get scored down.
Score Standard
9–10 Named medical director with public LinkedIn and verifiable board certification. Care delivered by MD/DO with live video intake. Endocrinology or men’s health specialty.
7–8 Named medical director with credentials. Mix of MD/DO and NP/PA care. Live video intake.
5–6 Named clinical lead but specialty is general primary care. NP/PA-led care with MD oversight. Live or detailed async intake.
3–4 Generic “team of licensed providers” language with no named lead. Async-only model.
1–2 Anonymous clinicians, no medical director identified, async-only intake.
3. Lab thoroughness (15%)
The Endocrine Society guidance requires two morning testosterone measurements before a hypogonadism diagnosis. Clinics that skip this are cutting clinical corners.
Score Standard
9–10 30+ biomarkers including total T, free T, SHBG, estradiol (sensitive assay), LH, FSH, CBC, CMP, lipids, PSA. Two morning draws required. Quarterly follow-up labs included.
7–8 15–29 biomarkers covering the essentials above. Two draws required. Follow-up labs included or affordable.
5–6 Basic panel (10–14 biomarkers). Single draw accepted. Follow-up labs at additional cost.
3–4 Total T only or fewer than 10 biomarkers. Single draw accepted. Follow-up labs are an upsell.
1–2 No baseline labs required, or symptoms-only prescribing.
4. Treatment variety (15%)
Score Standard
9–10 Three or more delivery methods (injection, cream, oral, pellet) plus HCG, enclomiphene, and anastrozole available as adjuncts.
7–8 Two delivery methods plus at least one fertility-supportive option (HCG or enclomiphene).
5–6 Single delivery method but with adjunct options available.
3–4 Single delivery method, no fertility support.
1–2 Single product, no clinical adjustment options.
5. Patient support (10%)
Tested by sending three real questions during the evaluation period and measuring response time and quality.
Score Standard
9–10 Reply within 24 hours from a clinician (not a chatbot). Unlimited messaging included. Phone support available.
7–8 24–48 hour reply from a clinician. Unlimited messaging included.
5–6 48–72 hour reply, sometimes from non-clinical staff. Messaging included with limits.
3–4 Slow replies or routed through bots. Charges for additional consults.
1–2 No response within a week.
6. Independent reviews (10%)
Pulled from Trustpilot, Google Business, and BBB. Reddit threads (r/trt, r/Testosterone) are read for qualitative pattern recognition but not numerically scored.
Score Standard
9–10 1,000+ verified reviews, 4.7+ average across at least two platforms, no unresolved BBB complaints in the last 12 months.
7–8 200–999 verified reviews, 4.4+ average, BBB complaints addressed.
5–6 50–199 reviews, 4.0+ average, mixed feedback patterns.
3–4 Few reviews or 3.0–3.9 average. Complaint patterns about shipping or billing.
1–2 Negative review patterns, BBB warnings, or evidence of fake-review activity.
7. Geographic availability (5%)
Score Standard
9–10 All 50 states plus DC.
7–8 45+ states. Excluded states clearly disclosed pre-signup.
5–6 35–44 states.
3–4 20–34 states.
1–2 Under 20 states or excluded states not disclosed before payment.
8. Cancellation and refund (5%)
Score Standard
9–10 Self-service cancellation. No minimum commitment. Refund offered on unopened medication.
7–8 Self-service cancellation. Minimum commitment under 3 months, clearly disclosed.
5–6 Cancellation requires email or chat. 3–6 month commitment, disclosed.
3–4 Cancellation requires phone call. 6+ month commitment.
1–2 Difficult cancellation, undisclosed commitments, no refunds.
—
Scoring example (worked through)
A clinic scoring 8 on pricing, 7 on oversight, 6 on labs, 9 on variety, 7 on support, 8 on reviews, 9 on availability, and 7 on cancellation:
“`
(8 × 0.20) + (7 × 0.20) + (6 × 0.15) + (9 × 0.15) + (7 × 0.10) + (8 × 0.10) + (9 × 0.05) + (7 × 0.05)
= 1.60 + 1.40 + 0.90 + 1.35 + 0.70 + 0.80 + 0.45 + 0.35
= 7.55 / 10
“`
This becomes the displayed headline score on the review and the comparison table.
—
What NOT to score
To stay objective and avoid drifting into marketing copy:
Don’t score “vibe” or branding quality.
Don’t score the website’s UX (irrelevant to the clinical product).
Don’t reward affiliate-program generosity. Affiliate payouts must not influence scores. State this explicitly on the editorial standards page.
Don’t score testimonial quality from the clinic’s own site. Only count third-party verified reviews.
—
Quarterly review process
Re-test each clinic’s pricing, intake, and support.
Pull updated review counts and averages.
Re-score and update the comparison table.
Note the date of the most recent re-score on every review page.
If a clinic drops below the 5-floor on any criterion, remove the recommendation badge and add an editorial note explaining why.
