Health on the Net: Guidelines for Accessing Information on the Internet

Health on the Net (HON) Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Geneva, whose mandate is to set codes of conduct to ensure that websites are providing reliable health-based information. Abiding websites may display the HONcode seal.

Here are some of the HON code guidelines:

1) Authoritative: indicates the qualifications of the author

Medical advice should be provided by trained and qualified professionals

2) Complementarity: Information should support, not replace, the doctor-patient relationship

Be wary of sites that claim to "cure"

3) Privacy: respect the privacy and confidentiality of personal data submitted by the visitor

Make sure to check the website's security guidelines before providing any of your personal information

4) Attribution: Cite the source(s) of published information

5) Justifiability: Site must be able to back up claims relating to benefits and performance

eg. sites that claim to cure illnesses with the purchase of certain drugs or herbal remedies

6) Transparency: Accessible presentation of information, and an accurate email contact

7) Financial Disclosure: sites must identify their funding sources

8) Advertising Policy: clearly distinguish advertising from information provided