Editorial Policy

Last updated: 25 October 2026

GeoMed exists to help people understand medicines, diseases, laboratory tests, procedures, anatomy and first aid in clear, accurate language. Health information can influence real decisions, so we hold our content to a strict standard. This policy explains how every article on geomed.cc is produced, who checks it, how we keep it current and what to do if you find a mistake.

Our mission and audience

We write for patients, caregivers, students and healthcare professionals. Our aim is to explain, not to diagnose or prescribe. Articles describe what a condition is, why it happens, how it is usually recognised and managed, and when to seek help. They are designed to help you have better conversations with your own clinicians, never to replace them.

Editorial principles

Every piece of GeoMed content is expected to be:

• Accurate: consistent with current, mainstream medical evidence and reputable clinical guidance.
• Balanced: describing benefits, risks and uncertainties fairly, without exaggeration or alarm.
• Clear: written in plain language, with medical terms explained when they are first used.
• Independent: free from the influence of advertisers, sponsors, manufacturers or any commercial interest.
• Transparent: clear about what we know, what is uncertain and when it was last reviewed.
• Safe: focused on education, with clear signposting to emergency care where symptoms may be serious.

How content is created

Research and sources

Writers base articles on high-quality sources, in roughly this order of preference:

1. Clinical practice guidelines from recognised national and international bodies (for example the World Health Organization, national health services and specialist medical societies).
2. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
3. Peer-reviewed primary research published in reputable journals.
4. Authoritative reference works and official public health information (for example national centres for disease control and national institutes of health).

We do not base medical claims on press releases, marketing material, anecdote, social media posts or sources with an undisclosed commercial interest. Where evidence is limited, conflicting or still emerging, we say so.

Writing standards

• Articles follow a consistent structure so information is easy to find: overview, causes, pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnosis, complications, treatment, prevention, outlook and when to get help.
• We explain mechanisms (pathophysiology) in depth where it helps understanding, while keeping the practical sections readable for non-specialists.
• We do not publish individual medicine doses. Doses depend on age, weight, kidney and liver function, other medicines and the exact product, so they must come from a prescriber, a pharmacist or the official product information. Articles describe what a medicine does, how it is used in general terms and important safety points.
• We use inclusive, respectful, non-stigmatising language, particularly for mental health, sexual health, disability and substance use.
• We clearly separate established facts from opinion or emerging research.

Use of AI tools

Some GeoMed content is drafted or expanded with the help of AI writing tools, working from the sources and structure described above. AI-assisted text is treated exactly like any other first draft: it is never published automatically. Before an article goes live it must pass our editorial checks and be approved through our medical review process. Responsibility for everything we publish rests with GeoMed, not with any tool.

Medical review

Health content passes through a documented workflow in our content management system:

1. Draft: written or updated by the editorial team. Drafts are never visible to the public.
2. Editorial checks: structure, clarity, sources, safety wording, the absence of individual doses and the absence of copyrighted material.
3. In medical review: a qualified medical reviewer checks clinical accuracy, safety advice and the appropriateness of emergency signposting. The reviewer may request changes, which send the article back to draft.
4. Approved and published: only content that has passed review is published.

Where a reviewer is credited on an article, they have checked it, and the "last reviewed" date shows when. Reviewers' credentials are verified before they are given reviewer status.

Keeping content up to date

Medicine changes. We aim to review each article at least every two years, and sooner when:

• major guidelines or safety advice change;
• a medicine is withdrawn, restricted or receives a new safety warning;
• readers or reviewers report an error or an outdated statement.

Older articles that can no longer be kept accurate are updated, archived or removed.

Corrections

If we make a mistake, we fix it promptly and transparently. Minor corrections (spelling, formatting, broken links) are made without notice. Corrections that change the meaning of medical information are made as a priority and the article's review date is updated. To report an error, please use our contact page and include the page address and the passage concerned. We read every report.

Images and media

We use images only when we have the right to do so: photographs and illustrations in the public domain, released under CC0, or licensed under Creative Commons licences that allow reuse (such as CC BY and CC BY-SA). Where a licence requires attribution, credits are listed together at the end of the article. We exclude images that are unnecessarily graphic and do not show explicit close-up images of intimate areas. Images are illustrative and may not reflect how a condition looks in every person or on every skin tone.

Advertising and independence

GeoMed is free to read and is supported in part by advertising served by Google AdSense. To protect our independence:

• advertisers have no influence over which topics we cover, what we write or what we recommend;
• editorial staff do not see or choose which individual advertisements appear;
• advertisements are visually distinct from editorial content;
• we do not accept payment for favourable coverage of any product, service or organisation;
• any sponsored content, if we ever publish it, will be clearly labelled as sponsored.

An advertisement on GeoMed is not an endorsement. If you see an advertisement that seems misleading or inappropriate next to health content, please tell us through the contact page.

Conflicts of interest

Writers and reviewers must disclose any financial or professional relationship that could reasonably be seen to affect their work on a topic, and they may not review content where such a conflict exists.

User-generated content

Reader comments are moderated under our Comment Policy. Comments reflect the views of their authors, are not medically reviewed and are not part of our editorial content.

Health claims and evidence grading

When an article makes a claim about the effectiveness or safety of a treatment, test or preventive measure, that claim must be supported by evidence proportionate to its importance. Statements about established, guideline-recommended care may rely on current clinical guidelines. Statements about new, experimental or contested treatments must be described as such, with an indication of the strength of the evidence (for example "early studies suggest" or "there is not yet enough evidence to recommend"). We do not present preliminary, animal or laboratory research as proof of benefit in people.

Complementary and alternative therapies

We may describe complementary or alternative therapies where readers are likely to encounter them. When we do, we state plainly what the evidence shows, highlight known risks and interactions with conventional medicines, and never suggest that such therapies replace effective medical treatment.

Emergency and safety signposting

Articles about conditions that can become serious include a clear "when to get help" or "urgent warning signs" section. Content about mental health crises, self-harm, suicide, poisoning, severe allergic reactions, chest pain, stroke, severe bleeding and similar situations directs readers to emergency services first. We follow recognised safe messaging guidelines when writing about suicide and self-harm.

Regional differences

Medical practice, approved uses of medicines, brand names, emergency numbers and the availability of tests and treatments vary between countries. Our content is written for an international audience. Where practice differs significantly, we say so and encourage readers to follow local guidance and the advice of their own healthcare professionals.

Medical terminology and naming

We use internationally recognised names for medicines (International Non-proprietary Names) and conditions, and mention common alternative names and brand names where this helps readers. Use of a brand name is for identification only and is not an endorsement.

Accountability

GeoMed's editorial team is responsible for maintaining this policy and for ensuring that published content complies with it. Material breaches of this policy are treated seriously and may result in content being withdrawn while it is reviewed.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Editorial Policy to reflect improvements in our processes or changes in best practice. The date at the top shows when it was last revised.

Contact

Questions about this policy are welcome through our contact page.