How do you compare a medicine with an operation without talking nonsense?

Shared dimensions only

The universal engine uses eight dimensions that can sensibly apply across categories: weight-loss potential, speed, lower medical burden, reversibility, lower cost/access burden, maintenance simplicity, evidence maturity and convenience.

Category-specific dimensions stay category-specific

Reflux belongs in bariatric procedure comparison. Needle-free administration belongs in medication comparison. GHIC/EHIC belongs in medical-travel comparison. These are shown in the detail table instead of being forced into a universal score.

No overall winner

We deliberately do not sum the bars into one result. Different people value different dimensions, and some clinical considerations cannot be reduced to preference at all.

Normalisation

Existing category ratings from –E are mapped onto the shared 0–10 framework. Where a category is not itself a treatment — for example NHS vs private access route or treatment location — weight-loss potential is treated as neutral because the route/location does not itself cause weight loss.

Personalisation

If sstTreatmentFinder exists, the engine can highlight alignment with stated preferences such as speed, cost sensitivity, lower medical intensity, reversibility and maintenance. It also respects a strong stated preference to avoid surgery. This remains preference alignment, not a clinical recommendation.

Decision Readiness

If sstDecisionReadiness exists, the engine can surface how complete the user's information is. A highly relevant route with low readiness should trigger more research/assessment, not more confidence.

Source inheritance

The universal centre inherits the evidence and caveats documented in the Medication, Surgery, Lifestyle, NHS vs Private and UK vs Europe methodology pages. It does not replace them.

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