Confidentiality Declaration Explaining All Legal Requirement
Confidentialitydeclaration Explaining All Legal Requirements Conce
Explain all legal requirements concerning the confidentiality of personal data. The site must comply with the new General Data Protection Regulations. The privacy policy must be site-specific and easily accessible. The treatment of confidential data of the site user must be detailed. The privacy policy should mention whether consent to data collection is requested at the first launch, where user data is stored, if the data collected is transmitted to third parties and which ones, whether the site uses cookies and for what purpose, and whether Google Analytics is used and for what purpose.
Additionally, clearly specify the boundaries of the site that do not replace the relationship between physician and patient. The information on the site should serve to encourage, but not replace, direct relationships between patients and healthcare professionals. This must be explicitly stated, for example: “The information provided on this site is intended to improve, not replace, the direct relationship between the patient (or site visitor) and healthcare professionals.”
The site's mission should be clearly stated and respected. The intended audience (health professionals or non-professionals) must be indicated, and content tailored to that audience should be provided. If the site is prohibited for minors, this must be explicitly stated, and the site should be designed to prevent use by minors. Details about the editorial team and application team, including responsible members and their qualifications, should be clearly mentioned. If medical content is included, the authors’ qualifications should be provided, and if an author is not a health professional, this must be explicitly stated.
The site should comply with HONcode health site certification guidelines, which aim to ensure trustworthiness and transparency in health information. Transparency involves making the site easy to use, with a clear mission, accessible team contact information (email, contact form), and regular maintenance. Instructions for complex sites can be provided to assist users. For sites prohibited to minors, misuse should be impossible or clearly stated.
The information shared must be justifiable, complete, objective, balanced, and transparent. Medical content should include information on contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, and precautions. If treatments or drugs are discussed, all relevant information must be presented, and if specific brands are recommended, a professional must clarify that this is their usual practice and mention alternatives, with brand names identified (e.g., with ®). For before/after images, a statement regarding consent and the non-retouched nature of images must be included, emphasizing that results are individual and may vary.
All content should have a date of last update, and sources of health information should be provided in APA format, including authors, titles, sources, and publication years. This enables users to evaluate the timeliness and credibility of the information. Content creation dates and last update dates must be clearly indicated, especially in medical topics where knowledge evolves rapidly. If the site is restricted to minors, this should be explicitly stated and enforced.
The site’s advertising policy must be clear: advertisements should be labeled (e.g., “Advertising”) and differentiated from content. An advertising policy should be easily accessible. The site should not publish ads on inappropriate topics such as weapons, pornography, religion, or dating. If there is no advertising, this must be clearly stated. All advertisements must be properly identified.
Regarding financial disclosures, the sources of funding must be listed transparently. If health professionals contributed to the content, any links of interest or conflicts of interest with health product companies must be declared. This enhances trust and acknowledges potential biases, fulfilling transparency requirements.