Johns Hopkins licenses the information we develop to Web-based organizations. Our high standards and terms for their use protect the integrity of the information, guaranteeing that users of the information are seeing it exactly as it was written.

Answered questions "From the Doctors At Johns Hopkins" are in response to e-mail queries submitted to Johns Hopkins by the general public through partner sites and are answered by appropriate Hopkins faculty. Their responses include information about their Hopkins affiliation.

Editorial Independence

Johns Hopkins health information is developed with absolute editorial independence from any commercial influences. Our faculty prefers to use generic names when identifying pharmaceutical drugs; however, we recognize that consumers often know drugs best by their trade names. Our editors and faculty will thus include trade names when it is believed they enhance reader understanding. Hopkins makes these and all other decisions about the information in our electronic consumer health library free from outside influence.

When our consumer health information appears on partner sites, we require them to differentiate Johns Hopkins information from advertisements and sponsorships.

Similarly, we require partners’ Web sites to differentiate between Hopkins information and information provided by other sources.

Developing New Information

The Johns Hopkins Health Information Library, containing thousands of pages of consumer- and patient-related health information, is enriched annually with hundreds of new articles developed by Hopkins’ editors and faculty.

Every article and graphic in the electronic library is prepared with faculty involvement. Our medical writers interview faculty, write materials and then submit drafts to the faculty member for review and revision.

The Johns Hopkins faculty has final approval of all materials.

Keeping Hopkins Information Current

Johns Hopkins takes a two-step approach to maintaining the accuracy and timeliness of our information.

First, when our editors identify a significant change in health or medical information (for example, a new use of an existing drug or a newly approved treatment method), they confirm the change with an appropriate faculty member and promptly revise all related Hopkins content to reflect the change. If a partner site is licensing revised content and they cannot make the change within 24 hours they are obliged to remove the article(s) from their site until the appropriate changes can be affected.

Second, our entire health information library is reviewed at least every 18 months by Hopkins faculty. Content is updated, revised, enhanced, complemented or removed in accordance with faculty reviewers’ recommendations.

All articles include a “Last Update” date.

Third-party Information

Articles in the Johns Hopkins electronic library frequently refer to online information made available by federal agencies, medical associations, patient advocacy groups and, in some cases, private organizations. These references have been reviewed and approved for inclusion by Hopkins faculty. However, Hopkins faculty cannot guarantee that web sites maintained by other organizations remain updated, so readers are encouraged to look for current information on these and other health-related Web sites.

Ethics

Johns Hopkins was a partner of one of the founding members of Hi Ethics, a coalition of the most widely used Internet health sites dedicated to establishing the highest standards for privacy, security, credibility and reliability. We present this policy to explain how Johns Hopkins consumer health information is gathered, reviewed and updated. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please contact us.

The words, images and tools in our library are provided for informational purposes only and can be used to augment a patient’s relationship with you’re his or her health care professional. They are not intended to provide medical advice or serve as a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment. Users should always consult a medical or other healthcare professional promptly for diagnosis and treatment of specific health problems and consult a physician or other primary healthcare provider before starting a fitness regimen.