Health On The Net Foundation - Certification

Certification

HON Foundation issued a code of conduct (HONcode) for medical and health Web sites to address reliability and usefulness of medical information on the Internet. HONCode is not designed to rate the veracity of the information provided by a Web site. Rather, the code only states that the site holds to the standards, so that readers can know the source and purpose of the medical information presented. The HONcode is voluntary, which means that webmasters and information providers can apply for HONcode certification. Following this, the website is reviewed by a specialized team of health and legal professionals. The HONcode certification is a dynamic state and is extended every year according to site compliance. It is the oldest and the most used ethical and trustworthy code for medical and health related information available on the Internet.

The principles of the HONcode are:

1. Authority - information and advice given only by medical professionals with credentials of author/s, or a clear statement if this is not the case
2. Complementarity - information and help are to support, not replace, patient-healthcare professional relationships which is the desired means of contact
3. Confidentiality - how the site treats personal and non-personal information of readers
4. Attribution - references to source of information (URL if available online)and dates when pages was last updated
5. Justifiability - any treatment, product or service must be supported by balanced, well-referenced scientific information
6. Transparency of authorship - contact information, preferably including email addresses, of authors should be available
7. Transparency of sponsorship - sources of funding for the site
8. Honesty in advertising and editorial policy - details about advertising on the site and clear distinction between advertised and editorial material

Currently the HONcode is used by over 5,000 certified websites, covering 72 countries and has been translated into 34 languages. It is used to sensitize web publishers to the need for quality information and create awareness in health professionals and so, help guide their patients to trustworthy health information.

HON offers all users the trustworthy web sites and support groups, medical images and terminology, journal articles and news through its search engines MedHunt, HONcodeHunt and HONselect. HON also provides two databases of trustworthy health information, one on eye diseases and the other on general medical conditions. Provisu.ch is a database of reliable health information on all eye diseases and is accessible by those with poor or no vision through its variability of letter size and audio version. Santeromande.ch is an extensive database, mainly directed towards the French speaking public of Switzerland and neighbouring France and provides reliable health information, directory of registered health professionals, medical centers or hospitals, medical associations and federal organizations.

Health On the Net Foundation was granted on 23 July 2002 NGO status by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. HON also has a partnership at the French governmental level, when it was accredited in 2007 by the French National Authority (HAS) to be the official certifying body for all French health websites.