Characteristics of specialists treating hypothyroid patients: the "THESIS" collaborative

Thyroid specialists influence how hypothyroid patients are treated, including patients managed in primary care. Given that physician characteristics influence patient care, this study aimed to explore thyroid specialist profiles and associations with geo-economic factors. Thyroid specialists from 28 countries were invited to respond to a questionnaire, Treatment of Hypothyroidism in Europe by Specialists: an International Survey (THESIS). Geographic regions were defined according to the United Nations Statistics Division. The national economic status was estimated using World Bank data on the gross national income per capita (GNI per capita). 5,695 valid responses were received (response rate 33·0%). The mean age was 49 years, and 65·0% were female. The proportion of female respondents was lowest in Northern (45·6%) and highest in Eastern Europe (77·2%) (p