Editorial & Sources Policy

Purpose

This website publishes general health education intended to make medical and preventive-health topics easier to understand. Content is designed for education, not to replace an individualized evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment plan.

Source standards

When a health claim depends on outside evidence, we aim to use sources appropriate to the question. Priority is generally given to:

• Clinical guidelines and statements from established professional or public-health organizations.
• Regulatory information, prescribing information, and safety communications from government agencies.
• Peer-reviewed research, systematic reviews, and major clinical studies.
• Established government, academic, and medical-organization patient resources for background information.

Articles include a visible source list so readers can inspect the underlying material themselves. A source being cited does not mean every statement on the page comes from that single source.

Authorship and medical review

Articles display a byline identifying the author. If a separate clinician or qualified subject-matter expert reviews an article for medical accuracy, the reviewer’s name and review date may be displayed. We do not use a “medically reviewed” label unless that review actually occurred.

Updates and corrections

Articles display publication and update dates. The “last updated” date should change only when the article receives a meaningful content revision, such as updated guidance, new evidence, clarification, or correction. Typographical changes alone should not be used to make an article appear newly updated.

If a substantive error is identified, the goal is to correct it promptly and update the article where appropriate. Readers can report concerns at adrianmercer.md@gmail.com.

Use of digital and AI-assisted tools

Digital tools, including AI-assisted drafting, organization, editing, or formatting tools, may be used as part of the publishing workflow. These tools are not a substitute for checking factual claims against the cited material. Authorship and review credits should reflect the people who actually performed those roles.

Images and attribution

Article images should be relevant to the topic. When an image requires attribution or has a specific license, the article should display the creator/source and license information supplied for that image.

Commercial relationships

If this website later publishes sponsored content, affiliate relationships, or other material commercial relationships, those relationships should be disclosed clearly near the relevant content. Editorial claims should not be presented as independent medical guidance when they are advertising.