Digital health education content development and sourcing policy

Our commitment

WebMD Ignite’s commitment is to provide clients and their end users with accurate, timely, and understandable digital health education content. We focus on diseases, conditions, tests, and procedures. Our goal is to promote understanding and management of health conditions and wellness. WebMD Ignite is dedicated to developing health education that is evidence-based, easy to understand, and focused on improving outcomes.

Our health education content is developed using clinicians whose expertise falls in the content area under development. We aim to develop content consistent with evidence-based medicine and nationally accepted guidelines and standards of practice. WebMD Ignite’s methods include, but are not limited to, reviewing journal articles, practice guidelines, and subscription databases; consulting with medical experts; and attending health care association meetings and conferences with both practitioners and end users of our products.

Content development process

The content development process begins with careful planning and thorough research. Each topic is approached collaboratively, involving clinicians and editorial teams who define the scope and direction of the content. Research for the content is based on peer-reviewed journals, clinical practice guidelines, and trusted medical databases. The involvement of medical research staff as needed ensures the inclusion of relevant and up-to-date evidence. This research foundation ensures that all content produced adheres to national or internationally recognized medical standards and is grounded in evidence-based medicine.

Writing and initial review

Once the planning and research phases are complete, writing and initial review begin. During this phase, health professionals, writers, and editors work closely to draft content that not only reflects accurate medical information but also meets health literacy and accessibility standards. The content is written in plain language to be easily understood by users with varying levels of health knowledge, and it supports behavior change principles to aid in decision-making. The editorial review at this stage further ensures the content aligns with organizational style guidelines, correcting any readability issues, grammar errors, and formatting inconsistencies.

Our health education content adheres to WebMD Ignite's editorial style guide and is developed for a range of reading levels, depending on the audience and topic requirements. Going beyond readability, WebMD Ignite also focuses on health literacy. We create content using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Toolkit and the Plain Language and Training Resources offered by the National Institutes of Health. We have also developed our own resources, such as a style guide, equity and inclusion guidelines, accessibility guidelines, and plain language tips and glossary.

Multimedia content facilitates a low-literacy reading level with medical illustrations and a diverse selection of multimedia products. We also strive to use language and imagery that is relevant, respectful, and inclusive of a diverse audience. We do this by using appropriate tone for the subject matter, avoiding insensitive or stigmatizing language, avoiding assumptions, using gender-inclusive language, and including imagery that reflects a wide range of ages, skin colors, genders, and body types.

We are also committed to making all our content accessible to all users and to meeting national and international standards of accessibility. We develop and maintain our consumer-facing solutions to meet WCAG 2.0A and AA standards, as well as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed to make the web accessible to people with disabilities. This includes people who have visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological impairments. Key accessibility features include alt text and images, screen reader support, video accessibility, plain language, and language diversity. By following these guidelines, we not only meet but exceed accessibility standards to ensure people with disabilities can fully engage with our content.

While Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used to assist with content development processes, the organization takes care to ensure that AI does not compromise the quality or integrity of the content. Human oversight remains central to maintaining high standards of accuracy and relevance, with clinical and editorial teams closely managing the content creation process.

Digital health education content authors and reviewers

We employ a highly skilled team of medical authors, editors, and reviewers. Most reviewers are independent contractors and licensed clinicians, ranging from physicians and nurses to allied health professionals. Our medical writers are experienced in writing patient education materials for hospitals, health systems, private organizations, and professional organizations.

Our licensed and clinically-experienced medical reviewers ensure that the content is evidence-based and that recommendations made on a particular topic are consistent across all content on that topic. To ensure accurate and accessible content, we have an in-house team of:

• Clinicians with advanced degrees
• Medical writers
• Medical editors
• Certified medical illustrators
• Multi-media production staff
• Project managers

All individuals involved in the content development process are required to follow strict conflict-of-interest guidelines to prevent any potential bias or commercial influence on the information presented. This ensures that the content remains objective, unbiased, and focused on delivering accurate, evidence-based health information.

For background information on our medical reviewers and health content developers, please see our policy for digital health education content authors and reviewers.

Digital health education content development and sourcing

Our digital health education content development process adheres to an evidence-based approach, which integrates clinical expertise, patient preferences, and the latest research findings. Content is sourced from peer-reviewed journals, clinical practice guidelines, and proprietary databases such as Cochrane Library and UpToDate. This ensures that all information is up-to-date and reflects the most current practices in the medical field.

Our self-management/interactive tools, such as calculators, condition-related risk assessments, quizzes and multimedia content and animations are all considered health content. This information is medically accurate in content, visual representations, and data interaction. Standards and requirements that direct the creation of health content also guide the development process.

Throughout the process of the creation of multimedia content and self-management/interactive tools, there are several different script/content reviews by our content team. During production, the content team reviews many visual beta versions of any product developed by the graphic artists, animators, and programmers. During each step of the process, our content team has multiple opportunities to ensure medical accuracy of the final product. All interactive multimedia content undergoes user testing by the staff and other consumer users.

Great importance is placed on visuals. Our imagery is used to:

• Bridge learning barriers—Visuals speak across languages, literacy levels.
• Convey key messages and actionable next steps—Images reinforce key content.
• Tie content and audience together—Offer real-life examples and solutions incorporating diverse and inclusive visuals. 

Note: Content can be hosted by WebMD Ignite servers, hosted on the client’s servers, or delivered via web services or manual syndication. Revision of licensed health content is permitted with a specific administrative tool obtained by clients to meet their needs, but if revision to licensed health content occurs, the content will not be considered URAC-accredited.

Practice guidelines we follow

In developing, medically reviewing, and updating digital health content, we monitor a substantial number of associations and organizations that publish health care guidelines. All guidelines are vetted, and those directly applicable to WebMD Ignite digital health content are taken into consideration and utilized for product development and maintenance.

Content is developed using trusted sources such as clinical textbooks, proprietary databases, and guidelines from recognized health organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Multimedia content, such as animations and self-management tools, undergoes thorough testing to ensure that it is medically accurate and meets educational objectives.

To maintain content quality, information from unreliable or unverified sources, such as broad internet searches or commercially produced patient education materials, is not used. All sources must be vetted and approved by recognized authorities in the medical field to be considered acceptable for use in content development.

Publications regularly reviewed for content development

To ensure the medical accuracy and consistency of WebMD Ignite’s consumer health content, the organization continuously monitors publications, clinical practice guidelines and association statements, relevant articles from peer-reviewed journals, clinical databases and tools, publications from government organizations, and research summary products. The major publications and sources are presented here by medical specialty area. This is not an inclusive list.