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Health Guide Editorial Guidelines

Our mission

Our mission at Health Guide is to provide complete answers to any questions you have about your health and the health of your loved ones. Our content is empathetic, inclusive, accessible, and scientifically rigorous. That means when you read an article on Health Guide, you can trust that the information is accurate and based on reliable medical sources. 

You may feel concerned, possibly even scared, looking for answers to questions about your health. We aim to help you understand your situation by giving you the facts without being alarmist. There is a lot of information out there—some good, some not so good—and our team of medical professionals and writers are here to guide you on your health and wellness journey. 

Our editorial process

Each article on Health Guide goes through a rigorous editorial process, including a careful medical review by one of our managers of medical content and education. Managers of medical content and education are trained physicians who examine each article with a fine-toothed comb. They ensure every scientific study is correctly interpreted and that articles are not missing any pertinent medical information. 

We also have a team of editors—each with a decade or more of experience—who do meticulous edits for clarity, style, tone, grammar, and spelling. Our editors and managers of medical content and education work closely together to make sure each article is the best representation of Health Guide’s mission.  

Our voice and tone

We aim to write in a voice and tone that is:

  • Medical, but not sterile

  • Confident, but not condescending

  • Authoritative, but not superior

  • Warm, but objective

  • Reassuring, but not minimizing what the reader is going through

  • Clear, but not patronizing

  • Informative, but not overly burdened with minutiae

  • Empowering, without overpromising

  • Comprehensive, but not overly technical

  • Trustworthy, but not a substitute for personalized medical advice

  • Truthful, but not alarmist

  • Inclusive, representing all of our readers and their unique concerns

  • Empathetic and understanding, but not pandering

Our sources

We rely on the highest quality medical sources from reliable, peer-reviewed scientific journals and governmental agencies. At times, we also get information directly from experts in their fields, properly attributed in our content. Whenever possible, we avoid using consumer-facing websites as sources for our articles, as that information has already been distilled. We follow a modified version of APA style for our citations. 

Questions/comments?

Do you have feedback about Health Guide or a specific article? Reach us at [email protected]