Healthwise helps you make better health decisions. - Healthwise® Knowledgebase Editorial Policy and Processes

Healthwise® Knowledgebase Editorial Policy and Processes

The field of medicine changes constantly. Each day there are headlines about new ways to diagnose medical conditions, breakthroughs in treatments, and newly discovered ways to prevent health problems. Through a comprehensive topic development process, the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase software is regularly updated.

Content Written by Healthwise

Healthwise^® Knowledgebase topics are developed through the collaborative efforts of the Healthwise health information and medical teams using a comprehensive research and review process.

The Healthwise health information team includes full-time professional medical researchers, writers, and editors who have extensive experience in scientific research and medical writing. They work closely with members of the Healthwise medical team, including the chief medical officer, the medical director, the eight associate medical directors, and the Healthwise Medical Review Board.

The Healthwise Medical Review Board includes more than 90 specialists from across the United States and Canada. Members of the Medical Review Board are experts in their specialty area. Many of them have academic appointments at the nation's leading medical schools, are actively involved in research, are practicing medicine, and are published in peer-reviewed journals and medical textbooks. They share the Healthwise commitment to empowering patients with reliable health information and building strong patient-provider relationships.

Healthwise content is founded on evidence-based information. Our authors are experts at presenting balanced, unbiased perspectives without influence from commercial interests. Our Conflict of Interest policy enforces the editorial integrity of our writers: "All Healthwise personnel should avoid situations where their personal interests could conflict, or reasonably appear to conflict, with the interests of Healthwise. In this regard, personnel must avoid any outside financial interest that might influence, or appear to influence, their corporate decisions or actions."

Interactive topics within the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase may include self-assessment tools. For those self-assessment tools that help people reach conclusions about health care decisions or that may be relevant to optimizing health outcomes, we have cited the source of the assessment tool. We have not cited references for surveys that help people understand their own personal behavior.

Topic Development Process

There are four primary steps in the development process: planning, research, writing, and review.

• Writers, editors, and associate medical directors work together to plan the topic.
• The medical librarian develops a research packet for each topic based on extensive research and evaluation of biomedical literature. Research packets contain results of literature searches, key evidence-based medical journal articles, published clinical outcome studies, guideline statements, and consumer health information.
• The writing and review phases are interwoven with collaboration among medical directors and other clinicians.
• As topics are written, both an associate medical director and at least one specialist review them. Topics are reviewed to ensure accuracy and consistency with current practice standards and to identify areas of important development. These independent medical reviewers ensure that Healthwise^® Knowledgebase topics contain accurate, unbiased information.

New Topic Development

New topics are selected on the basis of several criteria, including requests from consumers and organizations using the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase, prevalence of the condition, and the degree of shared decision-making potential available to consumers with the condition.

Updating Topics

Topics are updated when warranted by changes in medical practice. The health information and medical teams continuously review the wire services and journals so they can quickly identify changes that affect the practice of medicine. When important changes occur, topics are updated and included in the next quarterly release of the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase.

In addition, topics are reviewed and updated on a regular basis. The schedule varies by topic.

• Topics that have ongoing research and rapidly changing treatment, such as Atrial Fibrillation, are reviewed for update annually.
• Topics that change less frequently, such as Bunions, are reviewed for update every 2 years.

Organizations and people using the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase may suggest changes or additions to topics. These recommendations are considered during the topic development process and are included in our updates if they meet our standard criteria and pass the medical review process. If a suggested change applies only to a particular sponsoring organization's readers, and if it passes medical review, then it may be made for that organization's customized version of the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase. Any change made to the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase must first pass medical review.

The date of the last update is found at the bottom of every topic page and in the Credits section of each topic.

Content Written by Third Parties

Cerner Multum, Inc., Drug Reference (not included in all systems)

The drug reference included in the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase is provided by Cerner Multum, Inc., of Denver, Colorado.

The update process at Multum is ongoing on a daily basis. New information is incorporated into a database as soon as it appears in the literature or in product labeling. Doctors and pharmacists review the new information and make any necessary changes. Multum uses weekly Current Content searches on all of its drugs in addition to surveying all key periodicals. All leaflets are reviewed by one or more practicing clinical specialists. Healthwise receives monthly updates from Multum. The updates are included in the quarterly releases of the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase.

Conflict of Interest Policy: Multum's content is authored by full time associates with no affiliations with drug companies. Consultants who work with the information in other capacities are required to have no conflicts of interest.

The date of the last update is found at the end of each topic.

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Topics

NCI Physician Data Query (PDQ^®) topics in the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase are provided by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services.

All PDQ cancer information summaries are peer-reviewed and updated monthly by six editorial boards of oncology specialists in adult treatment, pediatric treatment, supportive care, complementary and alternative medicine, screening, prevention, and cancer genetics. They review current literature from more than 70 biomedical journals, evaluate its relevance, and synthesize it into concise, clear summaries. Healthwise receives monthly updates from the National Cancer Institute. The updates are included in the quarterly releases of the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase.

Conflict of Interest Policy: PDQ Editorial Board members are selected by the Editor-in-Chief of each Board. Potential biases or conflicts of interest are discussed as part of the selection process.

The date of the last update is found at the end of each topic.

National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. (NORD)

The National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc., of Danbury, Connecticut, provides topics on rare diseases for the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase.

The NORD topics are updated on an ongoing basis as new information is reported that is applicable to a condition. In addition, all topics are periodically reviewed to ensure that all information remains current and accurate. Healthwise receives quarterly updates from NORD. The updates are included in the quarterly releases of the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase.

Conflict of Interest Policy: NORD uses independent sources such as the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its information on standard and investigational therapies. It does not rely on commercial sources for anything other than brief notices that clinical trials are in progress. Also, NORD does not ask researchers at academic institutions directly involved in studies of particular therapeutics to provide or review information related to treatment of the disease in question. When a report is written by a physician or other medical professional rather than by one of NORD’s own writers, NORD has it reviewed by an MD or PhD with appropriate expertise at a different institution. To obtain input from more than one medical perspective, NORD does not allow a report to be reviewed by someone who has participated in research or clinical activities with the author of the report. NORD’s staff regularly reviews several medical journals and, if any discrepancies in opinion related to information in a report are found, members of the Medical Advisory Committee provide guidance.

The date of the last update is found at the end of each topic.

American Self-Help Clearinghouse Information

The American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse, of Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, provides information on self-help groups.

Healthwise receives semiannual updates from the American Self-Help Clearinghouse. The updates are included in the quarterly releases of the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase. The content verification date is found at the end of each listing.

Healthnotes® (not included in all systems)

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Healthnotes, Inc., is the premier provider of reliable, easy-to-use health, food, and lifestyle information.

Each year Healthnotes reviews tens of thousands of articles and more than 600 medical and scientific journals to ensure that the content stays current, factual, and balanced. Citations identify the source, the authors, and where and when the information was first published. The Healthnotes editorial team includes medical doctors, pharmacists, chiropractors, naturopaths, and dietitians. The Medical Advisory Board includes medical doctors and experts affiliated with leading medical schools, such as the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Healthwise receives semiannual updates from Healthnotes. The updates are included in the quarterly releases of the Healthwise^® Knowledgebase.

The date of the last review is found at the end of each topic.

Last updated: September 2007