Medically reviewed content means healthcare professionals or doctors review it, as they have expertise in the discussed topic. These reviews help ensure medical content is accurate, high quality, and trustworthy.

Medically reviewed content is information reviewed by doctors or other healthcare professionals with expertise in the specific area of medicine the content describes. These professionals verify that the content is accurate, up-to-date, and presented in an understandable way.

Research suggests that many people seeking healthcare information prefer to get it online. While finding medical information online may be easy, finding reliable medical content may feel challenging. Consumers wonder how to know if the content they find is trustworthy. A robust medical review process can help provide readers with the confidence that the information is accurate and appropriate for their needs.

Read on to learn more about the medical review process and why it is so important.

Organizations that provide medically reviewed content generally have a well-defined process for licensed healthcare professionals. They are typically medical doctors with expertise in the specific area of medicine being discussed, to assess medical and health content.

These reviewers verify the accuracy of the medical information provided, whether the sourcing is appropriate and of the highest quality, and the timeliness of the information.

Medical reviewers seek not only to ensure content is accurate but that it is presented in a way that non-medical people can understand and use it.

Common features of the medical review process

Medical review standards for most publications and online content include the following:

  • Expert Evaluation:Medical reviewers perform a detailed check of an article, focusing on medical accuracy, clinical relevance, and clarity. Is the information in the article correct? Does it include the most important and relevant information about the topic? Is it presented in non-clinical or simple language that will be both informative and helpful to its intended reader?
  • Source Verification: Medical reviewers carefully check each source in an article to verify that the source is of high quality, peer-reviewed (reviewed by other expert doctors before it is published), actually supports information in the article or provides relevant data, and is the most recent information possible. They also ensure that current professional standards of care and treatment are shared and that outdated content is removed.
  • Quality Control:Medical reviewers also ensure that any outdated, obsolete, incorrect, or misleading information is not included in the content and is removed if present in older versions of the article or content.

Healthline depends on a skilled Medical Affairs team to uphold the quality and credibility of its health information, services, and products. This team includes healthcare professionals, such as:

  • doctors
  • nurse practitioners
  • physician assistants
  • pharmacists
  • dietitians
  • public health experts

Each one of them brings experience from research, clinical settings, and patient advocacy, ensuring that Healthline delivers accurate, empathetic, and empowering content. Before any content is published, the Medical Affairs team reviews it to confirm that it emphasizes accuracy, is based on solid scientific evidence, and reflects the latest standards in care and research.

Reviews involve reviewing high quality, peer-reviewed research, checking for updates to current clinical guidelines and important practice recommendations, and relevant drug recalls or approvals.

Healthline is committed to providing accurate, high quality, understandable health information you can trust. In addition to highly trained editors and writers, Healthline depends on our gold standard Medical Affairs Team to help create informative, accurate, and engaging content.

Healthline

Medically reviewed and approved content helps provide confidence in medical content, in addition to ensuring that the content is:

  • Safe: Medically reviewed content reduces the risk of promoting unsafe, unproven, or harmful health practices, and helps ensure sound and timely content.
  • Credible: Medical review of content helps assure that it is accurate and appropriate for use by individuals trying to understand medical conditions and treatment options and by those making medical decisions.
  • Trustworthy: Having medical content reviewed and approved by healthcare professionals adds credibility to well-researched and written content and helps provide consumers with confidence in the health and medical information provided.

To tell if content has been medically reviewed, look for specific indicators on the page or website. These include things like:

  • name and credentials of a medical professional who reviewed the content (including degrees like MD, DO, RN, etc.)
  • a clear statement that the article was medically reviewed (Medically reviewed by…)
  • review date
  • link to a description of the medical review process
  • the reviewer’s individual profile or list a team of qualified reviewers

These signs let you know the content has been checked for medical accuracy and integrity.

There’s so much health information out there, and figuring out if the content you find is accurate, reliable, and trustworthy can be a daunting task. Here are a few signs that a source or article is likely to be reputable:

  • Has the content been reviewed by a medical doctor or other healthcare professional with degrees and credentials in the specific area of medicine being discussed?
  • Is the information supported by scientific research? Has the author provided research over several years and from multiple sources to support the information provided?
  • Does the site end in “.gov,” indicating it is an official United States government website? These sites typically have peer-reviewed information supported by research.
  • Is the information or site provided by a medical association or professional organization representing doctors and other healthcare professionals who treat individuals with the condition you are researching?
  • Is the information from non-profit organizations serving individuals with the condition you are researching? Examples of these organizations include groups like:

If you are reviewing academic and scientific journal articles, look for these signs that the study or research is reliable:

  • The study or research involves humans.
  • The study had a larger number of participants.
  • The study included a diverse group of participants.
  • Other researchers have reported similar results.
  • The journal requires peer review before publishing a research article.
  • The study authors have no conflicts of interest. For example, they don’t sell or endorse products being investigated in the study.

While medically reviewed content is more accurate and trustworthy, it is not a substitute for seeing a doctor or other healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. It’s important to develop and maintain a relationship with healthcare professionals in your community who can assess your health and diagnose and treat any health condition you may have.

Medically reviewed content is not scientific research and cannot replace rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific research and literature. Typically, medically reviewed content reports scientific research rather than creating it.

The medical review process always has the potential for bias. That’s why it’s important that health and medical content also include current research from scientific journals to support medical information, health claims, and statistics presented.

No. Medically reviewed content is simply information about a condition, treatment, or other medical topic in a general context. Medical reviewers do not diagnose or make treatment recommendations for individuals they have not personally examined, diagnosed, or treated. Medical content is never a substitute for medical care. Always consult a healthcare professional in your community if you are concerned about your health, are considering changing a treatment plan you are following, or need medical information about your health.

High quality, medically reviewed content is typically updated frequently, but exactly how often it’s done depends on several factors, such as whether there have been new discoveries or research about a specific condition, whether professional guidelines or recommendations have been updated, and whether there have been any treatment advances, like new medications.

No, medically reviewed content is checked by licensed medical professionals for medical accuracy, high quality sourcing, and plain language. Peer-reviewed content is scientific research with an evaluation process in which other researchers review and comment on the methods used, data presented, and conclusions stated before the study is published in scientific or academic journals.

Medically reviewed content is verified by licensed health professionals to ensure accuracy, clarity, and reliability.

A medical review is a safeguard for trustworthy health information online. It helps readers learn more about medical conditions, research health benefits and risks, and make informed decisions.

Legitimate medical review will include the name and credentials of the reviewer, the date the most recent review was performed, and access to the publication’s or site’s medical review policy and standards.

Though medically reviewed content is more reliable, it is not a substitute for seeing a doctor or other healthcare professional for your healthcare and the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions.