Looking for info about H1N1 (swine) flu vaccinations, I clicked to the Health Direct site and noticed the HONcode certificate (as shown here). HON stands for Heath on the Net, an NGO 'accredited to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations'.The goal is to help consumers evaluate the credibility and source of content posted on health-related websites. To be certified under the HONcode, a health website must comply with 8 principles:
- The information must be authoritative and provided by qualified personnel (or a disclaimer must be posted if this is not the case).
- The information must supplement, not replace, medical advice provided by a medical practitioner to a patient.
- The website must respect and protect privacy and confidentiality.
- The website should show sources for its information, including a date for the most recent change of content and links to the sources.
- The information must be balanced to inform consumers.
- The website must apply transparency and include contact information in case visitors want to communicate.
- The website must disclose financial support by commercial or non-commercial organisations that provide money or content.
- The website must disclose whether advertising is a source of revenue and clearly label ads as distinguishable from health content.
These 8 principles can actually be applied to any website, whether devoted to health topics or not, and will help any marketer build trust with target audiences.
