Table VI.

Lay round comments.

Technical language not accessible to all.

Lay audience do not understand medical jargon.

It is confusing that PCOS is in the left-hand column if it does not relate to any of the words in the right-hand column.

As a lay person working for a patient advocacy group, I can understand the system presented.

Would consider adding what those two columns (levels) are—anatomical/location (?), possible causes related to anatomical location. Also, would make it more clear visually which category from the right column relates to which category from the left one.

If PCOS is an exception, it’s hard to understand why it’s in this column then (if we already have a category ‘Ovarian’).

The pic is not very clear to understand by itself. It is more clear if I read the explanation at the beginning.

If PCOS is not about anatomy and stands by alone and has different causes, maybe it would be better to put it a bit separately on the pic. Because at a first glance, it looks like the causes on the right are also PCOS causes.

What I don’t personally understand is what is iatrogenic and idiopathic, and functional and how idiopathic is different from physiological. And if we speak of general audience (like women and girls) I would suggest explaining what each word means. What looks more or less understandable is endocrine, genetic, inflammatory, trauma. The rest would benefit from explanation in simple terms.

As regards structure, it’s not clear why causes are somehow grouped in three groups. Do those groups pertain to each hypothalamic, pituitary and ovarian? It looks like each group is a group of causes for each ‘organ’. Not sure what you planned to showcase.

PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome.

Note: Comments reflecting the initial graphical presentation of the system. Changes in this presentation have been made without altering the actual content or design of the system.