Editorial Policy

Purpose & Scope

At Health, we are committed to providing accurate, reliable, and transparent health information to our patients, community, and the public. This editorial policy outlines the standards, processes, and ethical guidelines that govern all content published on our digital platforms, including our website, mobile applications, patient portals, and social media channels.

This policy applies to all content created by Health's internal editorial team, licensed medical professionals, guest contributors, and external partners. Our primary mission is to empower individuals with evidence-based health information that supports informed decision-making about their wellbeing.

Medical Accuracy

Accuracy is the cornerstone of our editorial standards. All health-related content must be factually correct, current, and aligned with established medical guidelines and scientific consensus.

Review Process

• Primary Review: All draft content is reviewed by a senior medical editor with advanced training in the relevant specialty.
• Clinical Verification: Medical claims are verified against peer-reviewed journals, clinical guidelines, and authoritative sources such as the WHO, CDC, and relevant medical boards.
• Expert Approval: Content involving treatment recommendations or complex medical conditions requires sign-off from a board-certified physician.
• Regular Updates: All articles are scheduled for periodic review (minimum annually) to ensure information remains current with evolving medical knowledge.

We adhere to the HONcode (Health On the Network Foundation) principles and follow the Cochrane Collaboration standards for evidence-based medicine where applicable.

Editorial Independence

Our editorial team operates independently from commercial, advertising, and business development departments. Content decisions are based solely on editorial merit, medical accuracy, and patient value.

No advertiser, sponsor, pharmaceutical company, or external stakeholder has the ability to influence the creation, modification, or publication of editorial content. Clear distinctions are always maintained between editorial content and sponsored materials.

Authorship & Expertise

We believe transparency about authorship builds trust. Every article clearly displays:

• The author's full name and professional credentials
• Author qualifications and relevant expertise
• Editorial review information
• Date of last review or update

Contributor Standards

All authors and contributors must meet minimum qualification requirements. Medical content must be written or co-written by licensed healthcare professionals. Guest contributors are vetted for expertise and must adhere to our editorial guidelines. We maintain a diverse editorial board representing multiple medical specialties and demographic perspectives.

Conflict of Interest

All authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest before content publication. This includes financial relationships, consulting arrangements, research funding, or personal interests that could be perceived as influencing the content.

Disclosure statements are published alongside relevant content where applicable. In cases where a conflict cannot be adequately mitigated through disclosure, the individual is recused from the content development process.

Sourcing & References

We prioritize high-quality, evidence-based sources. Our content relies on:

• Peer-reviewed medical journals
• Government health agencies (CDC, NIH, WHO, FDA)
• Professional medical associations
• Clinical practice guidelines
• Academic institutions and research hospitals

Content includes clearly linked citations that allow readers to verify claims and explore original research. We avoid reliance on anecdotal evidence, unverified health claims, or sources with known conflicts of interest.

Privacy & Patient Rights

Health respects patient privacy and complies with all applicable data protection regulations including HIPAA, GDPR, and other relevant privacy laws. Patient stories, case studies, or testimonials are only published with explicit, informed consent and appropriate anonymization.

We never publish identifiable patient information without direct authorization. When using patient experiences to illustrate health conditions, we ensure complete de-identification of sensitive data and obtain documented permission.

Corrections & Errata

We acknowledge that despite our rigorous review process, errors may occasionally occur. We maintain a transparent corrections policy:

• Errors are corrected promptly upon discovery
• Significant corrections are noted at the bottom of the article with a brief explanation
• A "Corrected" timestamp is added to indicate when substantial changes were made
• We welcome reader feedback regarding factual errors and investigate all reports thoroughly

Our corrections log is maintained internally and reviewed quarterly by our editorial board to identify patterns and improve processes.

Advertising & Sponsorship

Sponsored content, advertisements, and promotional materials are clearly labeled as such. We use standardized labeling ("Sponsored Content," "Advertisement," "Paid Partnership") that is visible before the user scrolls through the material.

Advertising does not influence editorial content, search results, or patient recommendations. We do not accept payment to review products, endorse treatments, or promote specific healthcare providers within editorial sections.

Feedback & Contact

We value your feedback regarding our content and editorial standards. If you identify errors, have concerns about accuracy, or wish to report policy violations, please contact our editorial team.