Pre-consultation questionnaires implemented in primary care clinics can enhance the detection of cardiovascular risk factors and support structured clinical assessments, yet robust evidence demonstrating sustained health benefits for men remains scarce. A systematic review published in BMC Primary Care synthesized findings from clinical studies to evaluate whether structured health checklists completed prior to clinical appointments improve care delivery and long-term outcomes for adult male patients.
The investigation addressed well-documented public health challenges concerning men’s health, specifically shorter life expectancy and higher burdens of preventable morbidity relative to women. These disparities are especially pronounced among men from socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances and culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Structured pre-visit questionnaires have frequently been proposed as a practical clinical strategy to boost patient health literacy, help men identify overlooked symptoms and risk factors, and facilitate more timely and proactive engagement with general practice services.
To evaluate the existing research landscape, the investigators carried out comprehensive literature searches across major medical databases, including MEDLINE through Ovid, EMBASE, and Scopus, from database inception through February 2, 2026. The systematic search identified randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, and existing systematic reviews assessing pre-consultation questionnaires, checklists, or structured health assessments administered to men aged 18 years and older within primary care settings.
Eligible investigations compared pre-consultation tools directly against standard
Eligible investigations compared pre-consultation tools directly against standard clinical care or alternate comparator approaches, extracting data across a spectrum of patient, clinician, behavioural, clinical, and health service outcomes. Recognizing the pronounced health disparities affecting underserved groups, the review team also extracted equity-relevant data pertaining to culturally and linguistically diverse or socioeconomically disadvantaged men whenever reported. Due to substantial clinical, methodological, and outcome heterogeneity across the included literature, the researchers synthesized the findings narratively.
The systematic search identified a relatively small and heterogeneous evidence base, characterized by studies predominantly conducted within high-income primary care environments.
In terms of clinical feasibility and uptake, the synthesized evidence demonstrated that pre-consultation questionnaires are generally acceptable to both patients and healthcare professionals.
Despite positive initial risk documentation, evidence supporting lasting
Despite positive initial risk documentation, evidence supporting lasting impacts on health behaviors, health literacy, clinical endpoints, or primary care utilization patterns remained limited and contradictory across trials. Furthermore, very few studies disaggregated results by sex or explicitly tracked outcomes for men from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds or Indigenous populations, leaving significant knowledge gaps regarding these priority demographics.
The reviewers also noted substantial methodological limitations across the identified literature base, citing mixed overall study quality, predominantly small sample sizes, brief follow-up durations, and frequent under-reporting of implementation strategies. While pre-consultation tools appear acceptable and facilitate short-term clinical documentation, their capacity to produce durable health improvements for men or resolve fundamental equity gaps remains unproven.
The study authors concluded that future research must prioritize rigorous, high-quality clinical trials and mixed-methods evaluations that are explicitly tailored to men. They emphasized that subsequent research programs should systematically report sex-segregated outcomes and actively incorporate co-design methodologies alongside culturally diverse communities to determine how pre-consultation tools can effectively advance preventive healthcare for underserved men.
Subject of Research: Systematic review of pre-consultation questionnaires in primary care for men’s health
Article Title: The evidence landscape for the use
Article Title: The evidence landscape for the use of pre-consultation questionnaires in primary care with implications for men’s health: a systematic review
Article References: Tafari, S., Goai, W. H., Jesudason, D., & Wittert, G. A. (2026). The evidence landscape for the use of pre-consultation questionnaires in primary care with implications for men’s health: a systematic review. BMC Primary Care. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-026-03620-y
DOI:10.1186/s12875-026-03620-y
Keywords: primary care, pre-consultation questionnaires, men’s health, systematic review, preventive care, cardiovascular risk, health literacy, risk assessment, clinical documentation, health equity, general practice, patient outcomes, health services research, preventive medicine, clinical feasibility, implementation science
News. Primary Care Questionnaires Improve Risk Detection but Lack Long-Term Evidence for Men. Scienmag
