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Clinical & Medical Reporting Guidelines

Standard operating procedures, verification frameworks, and ethical boundaries for evidence-based health journalism at Aevum News.

📄 Version 3.2 📅 Updated: October 2024 Mandatory Reading

1. Purpose & Scope

Aevum News maintains a zero-tolerance policy for medical misinformation. This document establishes the mandatory framework for all journalists, editors, and contributors covering clinical research, public health, pharmaceutical developments, and medical practice.

Applies to: All health/medical reporters, guest contributors, data visualization teams, and editorial staff reviewing science-related content.

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When to Use This Guide

Mandatory for any article containing diagnostic claims, treatment efficacy data, clinical trial results, epidemiological statistics, or public health policy analysis.

2. Core Principles

  • Evidence-First: Claims must be anchored in peer-reviewed literature or official public health data. Anecdotes require explicit contextual framing.
  • Uncertainty Transparency: Clearly distinguish between hypothesis, preliminary data, and established medical consensus.
  • Patient Privacy: Strict adherence to HIPAA/GDPR. De-identify all case studies. Obtain explicit consent for interviews.
  • Anti-Sensationalism: Avoid alarmist terminology ("miracle cure," "deadly," "breakthrough") unless directly quoting verified sources with full context.
  • Conflict Disclosure: Mandatory disclosure of pharmaceutical funding, author affiliations, and institutional sponsorships in clinical studies.

3. Verification Protocol

All clinical claims must pass through the 5-step verification pipeline before publication.

1

Source Triage

Identify primary study, press release, or expert commentary. Verify publication venue impact factor & peer-review status.

2

Data Cross-Check

Confirm statistical significance (p-values, CI), sample size, and methodology. Reject headlines that misrepresent marginal gains.

3

Expert Consultation

Route to at least one independent clinical specialist not affiliated with the study for contextual review.

4

Risk Calibration

Assess potential public health impact. Flag if reporting could trigger hoarding, panic, or treatment disruption.

5

Editorial Sign-Off

Medical Editor + Section Head approval. Log all verification steps in CMS audit trail.

4. Evidence Hierarchy Reference

Level Evidence Type Reporting Standard
I Systematic Reviews / Meta-Analyses Strong claims permitted with methodological limitations noted
II Randomized Controlled Trials Contextualize against existing guidelines; note trial phase
III Observational / Cohort Studies Must explicitly state correlation ≠ causation
IV Case Series / Preprints Label as preliminary; restrict to hypothesis framing
V Expert Opinion / Anecdote Require explicit uncertainty disclaimer; limit prominence

5. Risk & Uncertainty Communication

Required Framing Conventions

  • Replace "cures cancer" → "shows tumor reduction in controlled trial setting"
  • Replace "study proves" → "study suggests/indicates"
  • Always include: "This research is preliminary and requires replication"
  • Quantify risk using absolute numbers, not relative percentages alone
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Red Flags: Immediate Escalation Required

Articles making dosing recommendations, diagnosing conditions, contradicting established public health guidance without Level I evidence, or promoting unapproved therapies must be routed to Legal + Medical Board before drafting.

6. Review & Publication Workflow

  1. Draft Submission: Attach primary source PDF, data tables, and conflict-of-interest log
  2. Medical Desk Review: 24-48h turnaround for standard pieces; 12h for breaking clinical news
  3. Fact-Check Audit: Automated cross-reference against PubMed/Cochrane + manual specialist verification
  4. Editorial Calibration: Tone, framing, and risk assessment review
  5. Publication & Monitoring: Post-launch comment moderation; trigger correction protocol if new contradictory data emerges within 30 days

7. Compliance & Ethics

All clinical reporting must align with:

  • SPJ Code of Ethics (Journalism)
  • AMA/JAMA Medical Journal Guidelines
  • WHO Health Topic Media Guidelines
  • FDA/EMA Press Release Compliance Standards

Violations resulting in public health harm, retracted studies, or ethical breaches will trigger the Editorial Accountability Review Board (EARB) process.

8. Editorial Support

Need verification assistance or specialist consultation?

  • Medical Desk: medical.desk@aevumnews.internal
  • Statistical Review: data.review@aevumnews.internal
  • Legal/Compliance: compliance@aevumnews.internal
  • 24/7 Triage Line: +1 (800) 555-0198 (Ext. 440)

Document maintained by the Aevum News Editorial Standards Board. Next scheduled review: Q1 2025.