Editorial Policy

Our mission is to empower people to improve and take control of their health and well-being by presenting accurate, relevant information on the Internet.

HealthCentral is accredited by Health on the Net (HON), an independent organization that certifies Web sites whose policies and procedures meet HON’s standards for ethics, accuracy, sourcing, and other aspects of content quality. We adhere to the letter and spirit of its principles and standards.

Disclaimer about medical advice
The consumer health information on any of HealthCentral’s sites is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness or medicine regimen.

 

Where HealthCentral’s Content Comes From
Our content primarily comes from three sources and we label all our content as to its source:

1. Original content from HealthCentral Editorial Staff and Paid Writers
   All of our original content, either internally produced or externally commissioned, is reviewed by members of HealthCentral’s editorial staff and is not subject to editorial influence or control of our advertisers or sponsors. Original content includes articles, SharePosts, quizzes, assessments, slideshows, and answers to questions. Any piece of content without a designated author should be considered a creation of HealthCentral’s editorial staff. 

All content is first edited by a staff editor for timeliness and relevance. The staff editor in charge of a specific site gives a piece final review before publishing the piece to the site.

HealthCentral hires independent writers, whom we designate as “Health Guides,” to write about their experiences. Health Guides are either living with the conditions they write about, care for people living with those conditions, or are advocates on behalf of people living with those conditions. Content created by Health Guides is subject to HealthCentral’s editorial review process and is reviewed by HealthCentral’s editorial staff before it is published to the sites.
Click here for an example of Health Guide content.

HealthCentral also hires independent, board-certified physicians and other certified health professionals, whom we designate as “Health Pros” to write for the sites. Content created by health professionals  is subject to HealthCentral’s editorial review process and is reviewed by HealthCentral’s editorial staff before it is published to the sites.
Click here for an example of Certified Health Professional Content.

Any paid writers, whether Health Guide or Health Pro, must fully disclose any direct or indirect financial or other interests that he or she may have in any product, treatment or company that he or she writes abouts. Such disclosure must be made to the writer’s HealthCentral supervisor at the time of hiring or at the time that the financial or other interest develops. The supervisor will determine how to disclose any such interest so that it is transparent to the reader.

News and news abstracts
The short news reviews featured on HealthCentral’s sites are created by members of HealthCentral’s editorial staff. All of the information is attributed to its original sources.
Click here for an example of a news abstract.

1. Original content from HealthCentral Editorial Staff and Paid Writers
   All of our original content, either internally produced or externally commissioned, is reviewed by members of HealthCentral’s editorial staff and is not subject to editorial influence or control of our advertisers or sponsors. Original content includes articles, SharePosts, quizzes, assessments, slideshows, and answers to questions. Any piece of content without a designated author should be considered a creation of HealthCentral’s editorial staff. 
   Click here for an example of user-generated content in our HealthCentral SharePosts.
2. Licensed Content
   HealthCentral licenses health and wellness content from third-parties for publication on our sites. Our editorial staff reviews the third-party’s editorial policies, content, and procedures for consistency with our editorial policies. While HealthCentral’s editorial staff does not review each page of the third-party licensed content, the editorial staff does review a representative sample of the content to ensure that the third-party implements the editorial policy and procedures reviewed by HealthCentral and that the content is accurate, timely and relevant.
   Click here for an example of licensed content.
3. User-generated, or Community, Content
   Much of the content on HealthCentral’s sites is written by visitors and registered users in SharePosts, comments, questions, answers, message boards and other places. HealthCentral reserves the right to delete user entries that violate our Terms of Use or that we deem inaccurate, misleading, threatening or offensive. User-generated content is not, however, typically reviewed by HealthCentral’s editorial staff and is not edited for content or accuracy.
   Click here for an example of user-generated content in our HealthCentral SharePosts.

Corrections Policy
HealthCentral makes corrections, clarifications or updates to original content when necessary. In addition, with respect to the content that we license from third party publishers for publication on our sites, we typically receive periodic updates to the licensed content that we are obligated to publish in order to keep such content current.

Sponsored Content and Advertising
Content that is created, provided or influenced by an advertiser on any HealthCentral site is clearly and unambiguously identified as “From Our Sponsor” or “Provided By” the advertiser. Such advertiser content is not subject to editorial review by HealthCentral. Any content in these areas that HealthCentral provides is clearly identified as such and is created and editorially reviewed by HealthCentral and is not reviewed or influenced by advertisers.

Content in sponsored sections of our Web sites created will be labeled as “Brought to You By” or “Funded By” the advertiser. Such content is created and editorially reviewed by HealthCentral and is not reviewed or influenced by advertisers. For more information and examples, see our Advertising Policy.

Feedback
If you have a question or comment about our editorial policy, please send an e-mail to comments @ Healthcentral.com.

Updates to This Policy
HealthCentral may change this editorial policy at any time in its sole discretion. If HealthCentral makes changes to this policy, the updates will be posted here. This policy’s effective date will be identified at the top of the page.