eMedicineHealth Editorial Policy

Overall Aims of eMedicineHealth

eMedicineHealth is an Internet site of the WebMD network designed to provide educational health information for the general public. The aim of eMedicineHealth is to ensure that this information is reliable, integrated, and easy to access, read, and understand.

eMedicineHealth's health information, or content, is not designed to purposely direct viewers to particular products, physicians, procedures, or services. Rather, it is intended to provide the viewer with a better understanding of health issues.

eMedicineHealth presents medical information to meet the public's general interest in the art and science of medicine. eMedicineHealth strives to provide up-to-date health information including a large database of emergency medicine information. In fulfilling the growing need for health information, eMedicineHealth provides viewers with explanations of medical issues that can, in turn, enable them to become more knowledgeable consumers of healthcare.

With a team of writers and editors, experts in computer technology, and interactive software, eMedicineHealth's goal is the provision of timely and accurate medical information for consumers worldwide.

Editorial Objectives of eMedicineHealth

To ensure that eMedicineHealth is objective, accurate, and current in the medical information it provides, its writers and editors work as a team because the team approach provides a system of checks and balances. The content in each eMedicineHealth article is critically scrutinized and edited by one or more physician editors. Only quality work of the highest caliber is accepted for publication on eMedicineHealth.

eMedicineHealth's Chief Medical Editor and Medical Editorial Board members will uphold and be responsible for the critical and essential nature of the editorial integrity of eMedicineHealth.

To qualify for publication on eMedicineHealth, material must be logically and clearly presented, written in lay language, and be as free of bias as possible. When writers or editors express personal opinions on eMedicineHealth, these will be designated as such. Controversial topics may be presented, but they are identified as such and every effort is made by the editors to ensure that a balanced view of each controversy is represented.

The content of eMedicineHealth is not designed to offer viewers medical advice or promote anyone's individual medical practice, programs, or agendas. eMedicineHealth has no agenda to refer patients to particular health care programs, providers, or medical centers (community, university, government, or any others).

Content Production

eMedicineHealth content is produced according to a strict multi- step production process that controls an article from the initial data to final publication. Here is a summary of the steps in content production that occur on eMedicineHealth:

Approval is given by the Chief Medical Editor or Medical Editorial Board for new content, or to update/review existing content.
After approval, a Producer assigns a task to a physician author.
An author receives the assigned task, interacts with the assigned producer, and submits a draft of the text in a Word document (with track changes on) to an assigned medical editor.
The medical editor (The Chief Medical Editor or another physician editor with extensive editorial experience) critically reviews the text and returns comments, questions, and deletions as well as revisions and specific requests to the author. The medical editor may also seek the input of other members of the writing staff, Medical Editorial Board, or an outside reviewer.
A revised version of the text is reviewed by the medical editor who then performs initial formatting and transfers the text to the lay editor.
The lay editor critically reviews all aspects of the content for logic, clarity, and presentation.
The lay editor returns the revised text to the medical editor for review.
The medical editor interacts with the lay editor as needed to produce the final copy.

Selection of Topics and Content

eMedicineHealth content is determined by the Chief Medical Editor with assistance from the Medical Editorial Board. They may select medical topics that they consider timely and appropriate for eMedicineHealth. Topics are also generated in response to the interests and requests of eMedicineHealth's viewers, or the staff of eMedicineHealth.

At no time in the process of publication or topic selection is there any influence by, or interaction with, the commerce or advertising areas of eMedicineHealth.

Disclosures

Medical Writers and Medical Editors

Medical Editors of eMedicineHealth are not salaried or on retainer by pharmaceutical companies. Medical Editors of eMedicineHealth are not employees, officers, or directors of any pharmaceutical or health products or services company. Medical Editors of eMedicineHealth agree to disclose any financial relationships with any pharmaceutical or health products or services company to the eMedicineHealth Editorial Board.

eMedicineHealth does not accept payment for medical content, or content-production areas, from any commercial interests unless specifically identified as such on the site.

Outside funding for any projects or surveys on eMedicineHealth will be disclosed on the site.

eMedicineHealth has no political ties or relationships with any members of the U.S. Congress or other governmental agencies.

Potential conflicts of interest will be monitored by the eMedicineHealth Medical Editorial Board.

Medical authors and editors receive compensation for content they have written that is published on eMedicineHealth. Their compensation is structured as fee-for-service for each contribution.

Medical Editorial Board Members receive no compensation for their participation on the eMedicineHealth Medical Editorial Board. Medical Editorial Board Members receive compensation for content production. Medical writers and editors do not have equity in eMedicineHealth.

No medical writer or medical editor of eMedicineHealth receives any commission for the sale of products or advertising on the site.

Quality Control of eMedicineHealth

The eMedicineHealth Medical Editorial Board encourage viewers to scrutinize and criticize the content on the eMedicineHealth site. If necessary, information will be clarified. Every effort will be made to correct any errors, confusions, or misunderstandings.

Last Reviewed: May 17, 2013

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