📋 Editorial Policy
"Our commitment to publishing accurate, evidence-based, and clinically reviewed medical content — written by qualified professionals, for everyone."
🏥 Our Editorial Mission
DrInsight is committed to being the most trusted source of medical information for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Every piece of content we publish undergoes a rigorous multi-stage editorial process — from expert authorship and peer review to fact-checking and post-publication monitoring. We believe that accurate medical information saves lives, and we treat every article with that responsibility in mind.
Accuracy First
Every factual claim must be supported by credible, peer-reviewed evidence.
Evidence-Based
Content reflects current best evidence from peer-reviewed literature.
Clinically Relevant
Written to be practically useful in real-world healthcare contexts.
Accessible
Complex medical information translated into clear, readable language.
Current
Regularly reviewed and updated to reflect evolving medical knowledge.
Transparent
Full disclosure of authorship, review, sources, and conflicts of interest.
Balanced
Multiple perspectives presented where clinical evidence is divided.
Compassionate
Written with sensitivity to patients experiencing health challenges.
DrInsight is a medically led, editorially independent health information platform. We publish content designed to educate, inform, and empower — never to alarm, mislead, or promote commercial interests.
- ❌ Not a diagnostic tool or replacement for medical consultation
- ❌ Not a prescription service
- ❌ Not a marketing platform for pharmaceutical companies
- ❌ Not influenced by advertising revenue in our editorial decisions
DrInsight maintains a strict firewall between editorial and commercial operations. Editorial decisions are made exclusively by our Editorial Board and medical team. The following parties have zero influence over editorial content:
- Advertisers and sponsors
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Medical device manufacturers
- Affiliate partners, investors, or shareholders
- Display advertising — Google AdSense and direct ad sales
- Sponsored content — clearly labelled on every piece
- Affiliate links — disclosed per article
These commercial relationships never affect which topics we cover, how we present clinical evidence, which treatments or medications we mention, or our editorial tone or conclusions. Any attempt by a commercial partner to influence editorial content results in immediate termination of that partnership. Editorial Independence Statements are signed annually by all Editorial Board members.
Staff Medical Writers
Full-time employed writers; minimum medical degree or advanced health science qualification required.
Guest Medical Authors
Licensed healthcare professionals contributing articles within their specialty; must meet full qualification standards.
Medical Reviewers
Specialty-certified physicians who independently peer-review all content before publication.
Health Journalists
General health & wellness content only; all content must be physician-reviewed before publication.
Editorial Board
Senior physicians governing editorial standards, content policies, and annual editorial policy reviews.
- Hold a valid medical degree (MBBS, MD, DO, or equivalent)
- Hold active, unrestricted licensure in their country of practice
- Minimum 3 years post-graduation clinical experience
- Authoring within their recognised specialty or area of training
- No current disciplinary action by any medical licensing board
- Disclose all relevant conflicts of interest
- Agree to Author Agreement and Editorial Policy
- Credential verification by Editorial team before first publication
- Annual re-verification of licensure status
- Authors must notify DrInsight immediately if licensure is suspended or revoked
- Credentials published on author bio page with verification badge
- Surgical Articles: Board certification + active surgical practice required
- Diagnostic/Lab Articles: Relevant specialist qualification in Radiology, Pathology, or Nuclear Medicine
- Allied Health/Wellness: Registered nurse, pharmacist, physiotherapist, or equivalent licensed professional — physician review required
- Authors may use AI tools as a drafting aid only
- All AI-assisted content must be disclosed at the time of submission
- Content must be substantially reviewed, verified, and rewritten by the human author before it is submitted — not submitted as generated
- Any article found to be primarily AI-generated without disclosure will be rejected and the author account suspended
- AI-generated content may never be submitted as primary evidence or cited as a research source
- Medical degree plus recognised specialist qualification (MRCP, FRCS, FCPS, Board Certification, or equivalent)
- Active clinical practice in the relevant specialty
- Minimum 5 years post-specialty qualification experience
- No current disciplinary action
- Full conflict of interest disclosure
- Independence from the article's author — no co-authorship or institutional conflict
- Must sign Medical Reviewer Agreement before reviewing
- Review clinical accuracy against current evidence and guidelines
- Verify cited sources are credible and correctly interpreted
- Flag outdated information, missing safety warnings, or clinical errors
- Approve, request revisions, or reject content
- Re-review content after major updates
- Flag content for retraction if it becomes clinically unsafe
Step 1
Topic Identification & Assignment
Step 2
Author Brief & Guidelines
Step 3
Author Drafts Content
Step 4
Editorial Review
Step 5
Medical Peer Review
Step 6
Fact-Checking & Source Verification
Step 7
Final Editorial Approval
Step 8
Publication & Post-Publication Monitoring
- Completeness and structure against brief
- Plain language and readability (Flesch-Kincaid target score)
- Source quality and citation accuracy
- Compliance with Editorial Style Guide
- Missing safety information or disclaimers
- Authors have 5 business days to address reviewer comments
- Maximum 2 revision cycles are permitted per article
- If the article is still unresolved after 2 cycles, it is escalated to the Editorial Board for a final decision
- The Editorial Board decision is final and binding
- Clinical accuracy of all factual claims against current guidelines
- Currency of information — no outdated recommendations
- Completeness — no significant clinical omissions
- Safety — adequate warnings and contraindications included
- Balance — no commercial bias or misleading framing
- Reader feedback reviewed and actioned
- Comments moderated by medical team
- Flagged for scheduled content review
- Monitored for new clinical guidelines that may affect accuracy
- Registered users who bookmarked significantly corrected articles notified by email
- Medical Review Process — how medical reviewers enforce these editorial standards
- Author Guidelines — detailed submission and writing requirements for contributors
Tier 1 — Highest Quality (Required for all clinical claims)
Systematic reviews & meta-analyses (Cochrane, PubMed) · Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) · Clinical practice guidelines: WHO, CDC, NHS, AHA, ADA, ESC, NICE, and equivalent national bodies
Tier 2 — Strong Evidence (Accepted with Tier 1 support)
Cohort and case-control studies · Peer-reviewed observational studies · Expert consensus statements from recognised medical organisations
Tier 3 — Supporting Evidence (Supplement only — not standalone)
Case reports and case series · Expert opinion from recognised specialists · Government health agency guidance documents
NOT Accepted as Sources
Wikipedia or user-edited wikis · Non-peer-reviewed blogs · Pharmaceutical promotional materials · Unreviewed preprints (may be labelled "emerging research") · Retracted studies · Anonymous online sources · AI-generated content presented as research
- Minimum 5 peer-reviewed sources per clinical article
- Minimum 8 peer-reviewed sources per professional reference article
- Minimum 3 peer-reviewed sources per wellness or general health article
- Maximum source age: 10 years (exceptions for landmark studies)
- Preferred source age: within 5 years
- All sources linked directly to PubMed, DOI, or official guidelines
Audience: Patients, caregivers, general public · Tone: Plain language, Flesch-Kincaid Grade 8–10 · Min. word count: 1,200 words
- Required: Definition, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, when to see a doctor, key takeaways, references
- Medical reviewer: Required
Audience: Healthcare professionals · Tone: Technical, precise, evidence-referenced · Min. word count: 1,500 words
- Required: Pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, management protocols, drug information, clinical pearls, references
- Medical reviewer: Required (same specialty)
Must include: Indications, contraindications, dosing (general ranges only), side effects, drug interactions, monitoring parameters, patient counselling points.
- Must include disclaimer: "Dosing is for educational reference only. Always consult prescribing guidelines."
- Updated whenever drug label changes are identified
- Medical reviewer: Required (clinical pharmacologist or relevant specialist)
- Must clearly state study limitations and level of evidence
- Must not overstate findings beyond what the study supports
- Labelled: "Research Update" or "Emerging Evidence"
- Medical reviewer: Required
- Must include: Possible causes (general), when to seek care, red flag symptoms, what to expect at a doctor's visit
- Must NOT suggest specific diagnoses
- Must prominently encourage professional consultation
- Medical reviewer: Required
Audience: General public · Based on established public health evidence · May be written by qualified allied health professionals · Must be reviewed by a physician if containing clinical claims · Clearly distinguished from clinical articles in labelling.
- Follows safe messaging guidelines for suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders
- Reviewed by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist
- Includes crisis resources in all articles covering mental health emergencies
- Uses person-first, non-stigmatising language throughout
- Avoids sensationalism or graphic descriptions of self-harm methods
- Written and reviewed by a board-certified paediatrician
- Clearly indicates age ranges for all clinical information
- Vaccine content follows WHO and national immunisation schedules
- No content contradicting established vaccine safety evidence will be published
- Reviewed by an oncologist with relevant subspecialty expertise
- Clearly states cancer staging, treatment protocols, and survival statistics are population-level data
- Emotionally sensitive framing — avoids language that increases patient anxiety unnecessarily
- Clinical trial references clearly labelled as experimental
- Reviewed by a clinical pharmacologist or specialist physician
- Drug doses stated as general ranges only — never as prescriptions
- Generic and brand names both listed; regional availability differences noted
- Reviewed by a board-certified cardiologist
- Cardiac symptoms always include urgent red-flag guidance
- Anticoagulant and antiarrhythmic dosing is never presented as prescriptive
- ECG and imaging interpretations described educationally only
- Laboratory reference ranges clearly labelled as general population norms
- Radiological findings described educationally — not diagnostically
- Imaging examples are licensed or AI-generated — never real patient images without consent
| Content Type | Review Frequency |
|---|---|
| Drug & Medication Guides | Every 6 months or upon label change |
| Clinical Overview Articles | Every 12 months |
| Professional Reference Articles | Every 12 months |
| Symptom Guides | Every 12 months |
| Health & Wellness Articles | Every 18 months |
| Research Explainers | Every 24 months |
- New clinical guideline published by a major medical society
- Drug recall, safety warning, or label update issued
- Major new research significantly changes standard of care
- Reader or reviewer flags clinical inaccuracy
- Public health emergency affecting a covered topic
- Originally Published: [Date]
- Last Medically Reviewed: [Date]
- Last Updated: [Date]
- Reviewed by: [Name, Credentials]
- Articles pending review display: ⏳ "This article is currently under review"
- Significantly outdated articles display: ⚠️ "Last reviewed more than 12 months ago"
✏️ Minor Corrections
- Typographical errors, broken links, formatting
- Corrected immediately without formal notice
- No correction notice required
📝 Factual Corrections
- Inaccurate clinical data or statistics
- Corrected within 5 business days
- Correction notice added to article
- Author and reviewer notified
🚨 Clinical Safety Corrections
- Content that could affect patient safety
- Corrected within 48 hours
- Prominent correction banner added
- Editorial Board root cause review
Full article removal when content is fundamentally flawed or clinically unsafe. A retraction notice is published at the original URL. If author misconduct is identified, the matter is reported to relevant professional regulatory bodies. All retractions are permanently logged in editorial records.
📧 To report a correction: contact@drinsight.org · Response commitment: within 5 business days
"A conflict of interest exists when an author or reviewer has financial, professional, or personal relationships that could influence — or appear to influence — the content they produce or review."
- Financial relationships with pharmaceutical, device, or biotech companies
- Research funding from commercial entities
- Speaker fees or honoraria from commercial organisations
- Employment or consultancy roles with relevant companies
- Ownership of stocks or equity in relevant healthcare companies
- Personal relationships that may create bias
Disclosures are submitted before first article, updated annually, reviewed by the Editorial Board, and published on each article and author bio page. Significant conflicts may result in topic reassignment, additional independent review, or exclusion from reviewing specific topics. Editorial Board members are subject to the same policy with annual public disclosure.
- Advertisers have zero editorial influence over any non-sponsored content
- We do not publish positive coverage of a product in exchange for advertising revenue
- We do not allow pharmaceutical companies to ghostwrite or direct content
- We do not suppress negative clinical information about advertised products
- Every piece of sponsored content is clearly labelled: Sponsored Content | Paid Partnership | Advertisement
- Sponsored content is subject to the same medical accuracy standards as editorial content
- Sponsors may not make unsubstantiated health claims, reference unapproved indications, or target vulnerable populations inappropriately
- Sponsors are disclosed by name in every sponsored article
- Affiliate links disclosed with: "This article contains affiliate links."
- 🧠 Suicide and self-harm
- 🍽️ Eating disorders
- 💊 Substance use and addiction
- 🏃 Disordered exercise behaviour
- ⚖️ Body image and weight stigma
- Describe specific methods of self-harm or suicide
- Sensationalise or romanticise eating disorder behaviours
- Use stigmatising language — e.g., we say "died by suicide" not "committed suicide"
- Publish triggering before/after images
- Present extreme thinness as aspirational or desirable
- Follow Reporting on Suicide guidelines (reportingonsuicide.org)
- Follow NEDA and WHO safe messaging guidelines for eating disorders
- Include crisis resources at the top and bottom of all relevant articles
- Encourage professional help-seeking in all mental health content
- Use person-first, compassionate, non-stigmatising language throughout
- Acknowledge when research evidence lacks diversity across race, ethnicity, sex, or geography
- Use inclusive, gender-affirming language throughout all content
- Represent diverse patient populations in examples and imagery
- Cover health disparities and social determinants of health
- Avoid weight stigma in all nutrition and wellness content
- Include accessibility considerations: screen readers, alt text, plain language
- Actively seek authors from diverse medical backgrounds and geographic regions including Pakistan, South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
- Conduct annual DEI audit of content library by the Editorial Board
- 👍 / 👎 helpfulness ratings reviewed monthly by editorial team
- Star ratings and article quality scores monitored per article
- "Report an error" submissions reviewed within 5 business days
- "Suggest a topic" submissions reviewed by Editorial Board quarterly
- Reader-submitted questions may inspire future article topics
- All comments reviewed before publication by our medical team
- Comments containing medical misinformation removed immediately
- Comments attempting to provide medical advice to other readers removed
- Abusive, discriminatory, or off-topic comments removed
- Repeat violators have commenting privileges permanently revoked
- Constructive criticism and questions welcomed and responded to
Dr. Sarah Mitchell
Cardiology Section Editor
Dr. James Okafor
Neurology Section Editor
Dr. Priya Sharma
Endocrinology Section Editor
Dr. Emily Chen
Psychiatry / Women's Health
Dr. Carlos Rivera
Paediatrics Section Editor
Verification Specialists
Independent source verification on all articles
Digital Team
Search optimisation — editorial integrity maintained
Medical Illustration
Medically accurate diagrams & infographics
All editorial enquiries are responded to within 5–7 business days. Correction reports acknowledged within 48 hours and resolved within 5 business days. Clinical safety issues escalated and resolved within 48 hours.
| v2.1 | June 2026 | Added author AI content policy, updated safe messaging section, expanded DEI commitments |
| v2.0 | January 2025 | Full rewrite — added GPC support, expanded evidence hierarchy, new corrections framework |
| v1.0 | March 2023 | Initial Editorial Policy published |