Aug 10
The Internet can be a wonderful tool for those who are searching for information, but when it comes to medical and health information it is especially important to be sure that the advice that you are getting can be trusted. That is where the Health On the Net (HON) Foundation comes in.The HON Foundation is a not for profit organization that has been in operation since 1995. Its aim is to promote useful, reliable medical information on the internet, and it was created by a group of sixty experts, including surgeons and World Health Organization (WHO) senior representatives.They continue to operate as a respected, not for profit foundation based in Geneva, with the co-operation of the University Hospitals of Geneva, and the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics.They achieve their aims through HONcode accreditation. This is granted to sites who meet a strict set of principles, as laid out on the website. The principles cover such things as transparency of financial ties, attribution to original authors, and a requirement that advertisements be clearly distinguished from other pieces. Also, and perhaps more importantly, all claims of performance and results must be backed up.A site that wishes to be accredited must first apply, and once assessed as meeting the criteria and supporting the principles of the HON Foundation, may display the HONcode seal. It will also be included in the HON network of sites that you can search for particular terms directly from the website-so excluding any sites that are not accredited.Sites that carry …