Our editorial process

Health information is easy to find, but it can be confusing, overwhelming, inaccurate, irrelevant, or inaccessible. We’re here to change that.

We provide content that is trustworthy, accurate, evidence-based, clear, understandable, accessible, empathetic, and actionable.

Throughout our content, we address both physical and mental health to maximize overall well-being. We openly and objectively cover a range of topics and viewpoints to give people the information they need to manage their health effectively.

We know that every person’s situation, experiences, and preferences are different, so we stand for inclusivity and empathy. We’re here — free of judgment — for everyone seeking better health.

People come to MNT to get accurate information, so it’s our responsibility to set high journalistic standards. Our news and educational content is unbiased, balanced, timely, actionable, research-backed, honest, and comprehensive. Through our feature content, we share individual perspectives with empathy, candor, and respect.

Here’s how we make sure we meet these standards:

• We carefully select contributors and regularly train them: Our in-house Editorial team invests time in selecting expert writers and contributors. We vet our content creators for subject matter expertise and relevant life experience. We train them on research and sourcing best practices, and we provide regular feedback and ongoing coaching.
• Experts check every piece of content: A medical expert or professional fact-checker reviews every piece of content for accuracy. MNT’s medical network is composed of healthcare professionals from research institutions, professional organizations, and private practices who have varied and extensive expertise in their respective fields. Along with their knowledge of a variety of medical specialties, our medical reviewers bring an added perspective thanks to their experience in clinical practice, research, and patient advocacy.
• We thoroughly vet all brands we partner with and mention in our content: Our Brand and Content Integrity team researches the business practices of partner brands, and evaluates their medical and health claims against the current body of scientific evidence.

• Skilled medical editors create our consumer drug information: A team of experienced medical editors works with PharmD writers and medical reviewers to create our consumer drug information. These experts are focused on answering readers’ questions, and they know how to present complicated pharmaceutical information clearly.
• Our News team stays abreast of new information: Our curious and experienced in-house writers and freelancers produce our news content. Every day, the News team takes a deep dive into the latest medical research, keeping readers up to date on what’s happening in the world of health.
• We thoroughly check all content to confirm it meets our standards: Our editorial team works on every piece of content before it is published, double-checking to ensure it meets our rigorous editorial standards of clarity, accuracy, quality sourcing, and inclusive and empathetic language.

We want to make sure that everything we publish is accessible and understandable to our readers. As such, we rely on a proprietary style guide based on the Associated Press Stylebook. This guide directs our writers and editors to focus on readability, clarity, empathy, inclusivity, real-life application, quality sourcing, and clear citations.

Although our voice is warm and approachable, we also aim to be transparent, brave, and progressive. We use conscious, empathetic, and respectful language that promotes inclusivity and compassion. We tell judgment-free stories and make intentional choices to remove stigma and stereotypes, and to avoid injecting bias.

Here at MNT, conscious language is an ongoing commitment. We regularly engage with community advocates and research language trends within health communities. We choose our words carefully, seeking to prevent stigma and empower our readers.

As language evolves, we evolve with it. We also understand that health touches each of us differently, so we respect people’s choice of words when sharing their personal stories. Ultimately, we can’t be a true ally unless we put our readers at the center of everything we do. Our choice of language reflects this view.

Health information is constantly changing. New research emerges, old ideas are disproven, and terminology goes out of date.

At MNT, we continually monitor and update our content so that we’re sharing the most up-to-date and accurate information possible. To make this a reality, we have entire teams of editors and experts focused on identifying and updating inaccurate or unclear information.

Our Medical Integrity team keeps tabs on changes in standards of care, new clinical guidelines, drug approvals or recalls, and major practice recommendations. The team brings these insights to our editors and partners so they can update our content to reflect the latest, most accurate, and most useful information.

As a result, our content may include a variety of dates. These include:

• Writer date: The piece of content was written and published on this date.
• Medical review date: This is when a medical expert last reviewed the article.
• Updated date: Our editorial team updated the piece of content on this date to include the latest, most accurate information.

Here are some of the ways we continually monitor and update content:

• Regular audits: We perform regular audits of our content to address changes in language and medical terminology and new preferences among health communities.
• Annual brand vetting: We reevaluate vetted brands on a yearly basis and update content referencing those brands to reflect any changes in the brand’s performance against our vetting criteria.
• Timely updates every day: Our News team monitors changes in developing stories and publishes timely updates about the most important health news of the day.
• Immediate action from feedback: We invite reader feedback on our content and take immediate action to address any potential issues. When a reader alerts us to a potential issue with our content — such as inaccurate, outdated, unclear, or contradictory information — we take immediate action. Our Editorial and Medical teams research the feedback, determine what revisions are needed, and update the content.

At MNT, our readers are our top priority. We strive to be an ally in everyone’s journey to health and wellness. Our editorial process ensures that we can provide the most accurate, relevant, and accessible content possible.

We’re always working hard to improve, so we want to hear from you if we could be doing better. If you have any questions or comments about the accuracy or usability of our content, or feel an article is out of date, you can easily let us know by visiting this page.