Methodology
How the pages on Saciedad are made, reviewed and corrected.
Who writes and who is accountable
Everything published on Saciedad carries my name, Alex Gonzalez, and is my responsibility. I am not a healthcare professional, and no page has been reviewed by a healthcare professional. Every article says so in its "How this page was made" box. You can read more in About Saciedad.
Where the information comes from
Every page starts from primary sources, not from what other sites publish: a medication's prescribing information, the original clinical trial, the medical society guideline or the official food database. When two sources disagree, the higher-level one wins, in this order:
- Regulators: EMA, AEMPS, FDA, COFEPRIS, ANMAT, INVIMA and Chile's ISP.
- Peer-reviewed clinical trials and meta-analyses, and guidelines from medical societies such as the ADA, EASD, SEEN or SEEDO.
- Official food composition databases, such as BEDCA and USDA FoodData Central.
- Reference institutions, such as the NIH or the NHS, to explain concepts.
The source is linked in the text, next to the fact it supports. Every health article relies on at least two primary sources, and figures are given with their population and time frame. I do not cite forums or other content sites as evidence. When the evidence is weak or conflicting, I say so.
Drug data (indications, official dosing schedules, adverse effects, contraindications) comes only from the official prescribing information or label. In the "Sources" section, each reference can carry a tag with its type, such as "Drug label", "Clinical trial" or "Meta-analysis". A drug-label fact may be underlined with dots: hover over it to see the date it was checked.
Review before publishing
No page is published without a review. Every fact is checked against its source, the page is checked against the rules for health content, and there is a final read for language and structure. Accuracy, usefulness, specificity and clarity are assessed. A page without sources, without the health notice or with any dosing direction is not published, however good it is otherwise. If it does not pass the review, it stays a draft.
Corrections and change history
If you find a mistake, email me. I check it against the source and, if needed, I correct the page. The last-updated date only changes when the content changes, not for formatting tweaks. Corrections and significant updates are recorded in the "Change history" at the end of each article's box, with the date and what changed.
How often each page is reviewed
- In-depth guides: every 90 days.
- Articles and study summaries: every 180 days.
- News: after 30 days, to check whether the situation has changed.
- Drug pages: every month, against the prescribing information. If the label changes, the page is updated within a week.
Every article shows the date of its next scheduled review. A page is also reviewed sooner if new information that affects it comes out.
What is never published
- Doses, or directions to start, change or stop a medication. That is your doctor's call.
- Links to buy prescription drugs, deals or advice on where to get them.
- Compounded, gray-market or "research" products, except to explain their risks with regulator sources.
- Made-up testimonials or experiences, unsourced figures or promises of results.
- Content that pushes you to eat as little as possible.
- Exaggerated or omitted safety warnings: they are reported the way the regulators report them.
Independence
Saciedad receives no money from pharmaceutical companies, has no affiliate links and shows no advertising. No drug manufacturer pays for or sponsors what is published here.
Contact
To report a mistake, ask about a source or suggest a topic, email hola@saciedad.com.