Editorial Policy and Principles
The information we provide on all Healthily platforms is not intended to replace the direct relationship between our readers and healthcare professionals.
Our content is:
accessible
actionable
easy to understand
fact checked by qualified writers and editors
reviewed for medical safety and accuracy by qualified medical doctors
To achieve this, we adhere to a process that maintains the highest editorial and ethical standards throughout.
1.0 Principles
In order to create high quality, reliable and accurate health information for our users, our content is produced in keeping with 2 highly reputable patient information frameworks: NHS Information Standard principles and the Patient Information Forum’s Toolkit for Accuracy and Guide to Sourcing.
1.1 NHS Information Standard Principles
Healthily follows 6 principles outlined by the NHS Information Standard. These are:
Information production
We have a defined process in place to produce high-quality health information in a consistent manner. This includes the production process and the knowledge level of those producing the content.
Evidence sources
We only use high-quality evidence obtained from medically-relevant and recognised sources, and health sources that are approved by the Information Standard or certified by Health on the Net (HON). We strive to always present this information in a balanced manner. Sometimes, our content addresses topical health claims that readers may want to know about. In these instances, if there is no evidence to back up these claims, this is made clear to the reader.
The information we publish is reviewed by qualified doctors before publication and reviewed for currency when the article is updated.
User understanding and involvement
We have a clear understanding of who our content is (and is not) suitable for and engage in regular user testing to ensure our content and services are well aligned with the needs of our readers.
We produce content for a global audience with a lay understanding of health information. As such, we write in keeping with the principles of the Plain English Campaign to ensure our content is easy to understand. We avoid using jargon and we explain medical terms if we have to use them.
End product
The information we produce is created in keeping with a rigorous quality-control process that is optimised for medical safety and accuracy. Our published content has a clear date of publication and/or last review.
We retain a list of references used to create all articles and in many cases publish a list within the relevant article.
Our information signposts our readers to additional sources of internal or external information we believe they may find useful.
Feedback
We encourage feedback from our readers and users. This can be done by emailing support@livehealthily.com. This information is clearly signposted on our products.
Review
Our content is reviewed on a 3-yearly basis or when there has been a change in any guidelines used to create our content. This review process is clearly defined and accessible by all interested parties. It is conducted by writers, editors and our team of qualified medical doctors.
1.2 Patient information forum (PIF) guidance
Healthily follows the principles outlined in the Patient Information Forum’s Toolkit for Accuracy and Guide to Sourcing (otherwise known as Finding the Evidence). These principles are very similar to the Information Standard principles outlined.
They include:
Using current, high quality research, guidelines and literature reviews when producing health information.
Keeping a clear record of the evidence used to create health information.
Producing content using an explicitly defined process.
Making sure published information communicates all relevant risks, benefits and uncertainties in a non-judgmental and unbiased way.
Using consistent language.
Including clinical experts in the creation of health information.
Having a system that allows people to provide feedback on potential inaccuracies in all content.
We follow the PIF guide to communicating benefits, risks and uncertainties.
2.0 Processes
Every piece of clinical content produced by Healthily undergoes a rigorous writing and review process that involves:
research and writing by trained health writers
editing and fact checking by experienced senior sub editors
review of content for medical accuracy and safety** by 2 qualified doctors
clinical sign off by the reviewing doctors
final editorial checks by Content Lead
adherence to policy by Head of Content
** Healthily’s medical safety checks involve verifying if the information given is deemed medically safe.
This includes ensuring that:
important medical information has not been omitted
content has not been written in a way that its meaning may be misinterpreted
the information obtained from the sources used has been correctly interpreted
the medical information provided is current
Healthily’s final editorial checks involve checking for:
factual accuracy
use of plain English
adherence to Healthily style guide
correct grammar and spelling
logical and coherent flow and order of content
delivery of the information promised to the reader (via their title or introduction)
sufficient context provided for all information
content and tone that is well-matched to the Healthily target audience
We use conscious, respectful language that promotes inclusivity and compassion for everyone regardless of gender, faith, or socioeconomic status. We use empathetic language to tell judgment-free stories, and we make intentional choices to remove stigma, stereotypes, and to avoid injecting bias.
Inclusive language is an ongoing commitment. We regularly engage with communities and research language trends within health communities. We choose our words carefully, seeking to combat stigmas and empower our readers.
3.0 Advertising policy
While the majority of the information published on Healthily platforms is non-commercial in nature, some of our content includes commercial advertising of the products and services of third-party providers. These third-parties have no input or influence over non-promotional content published elsewhere on our platforms.
We strive to only select promotional content we believe is of interest to our user. All promotional content is clearly marked with ‘advertisement’ or ‘promotional post’.
Healthily will not accept adverts, sponsorship or promote products from companies that generate income from the following sources: arms manufacturing, pornography, gambling, tobacco, illegal drugs, homoeopathy and violence.
4.0 Feedback
Healthily is committed to providing our readers with the best experience possible. We encourage feedback on the information we produce -- from what we are doing well, to what we could do better.
If you have any questions or comments about our content, please share them with us by emailing support@livehealthily.com.
5.0 Funding
YOUR.MD AS is incorporated and registered in Norway and its subsidiary Your.MD Limited is incorporated and registered in UK. It is funded by private shareholders and companies with the same principles, objectives and aspirations as Your.MD. Major shareholders include RB Plc and Orkla AS.
The shareholders have no influence on Healthily editorial policy.