Content Update Policy
Last updated: 2026-08-08
How and when articles on this site are reviewed and updated.
Update cadence
Flagship guides (the site's most in-depth articles) are prioritized for periodic review against current public health guidance. Supporting articles are progressively being expanded from general template content into fully researched, page-specific guides; this is an ongoing project rather than a one-time effort.
We do not publish a fixed review interval, because a promise to revisit every page on a schedule is easy to state and hard to keep. Work is prioritized by how much a page could affect a reader's decision and by whether something has actually changed.
What prompts an update
Updates are driven by events rather than by the calendar alone. Any of the following can move a page up the queue.
- Guidance from a health authority or professional body changes
- A safety communication, label change or approval affects a medicine we describe
- A correction elsewhere on the site shows the same claim was reused here
- A cited source moves, is withdrawn or stops being reachable
- Seasonal or time-sensitive figures on the page have gone stale
- A reader reports something that turns out to be inaccurate or unclear
Seasonal and time-sensitive pages
Some pages describe things that change from year to year rather than settled medical facts: when a pollen season typically starts and ends, how regions differ, and what long-term trends have been observed. These age differently from evergreen explanations of how a condition or a medicine works.
For those pages we date the underlying figures and name the source and period they came from, so a reader can see how current the information is rather than having to assume. Where a trend is drawn from a specific study, we say which study and over what years, because a figure with no date attached cannot be judged.
How to tell what stage an article is at
Fully developed articles include a dated “Updated” note near the top of the page and a sources list near the bottom. Articles that still rely primarily on general template content are being expanded over time; we do not present template content as a personally researched, page-specific guide.
- A dated update note near the top of the page
- A sources section near the bottom listing the specific references used
- Links on specific claims pointing to the authority the claim rests on
- A reviewer card naming the medical reviewer, on medically reviewed pages
- Fewer of these signals means the page is still being developed, not that it is hidden
What an update changes, and what it does not
A substantive update changes the page's last-modified date. A purely technical or presentational edit does not by itself make a page newer in any meaningful sense, and we would rather leave a date alone than refresh it to look current.
A last-modified date is also not a medical-review date. The two are recorded separately, and an editorial update does not create a new review date on its own. Where a change affects a medical conclusion or an emergency instruction, it is escalated under our Medical Review Policy before it stands as reviewed content.
Frequently asked questions
How often is each article reviewed?
There is no fixed interval, and we do not publish one, because a promise to revisit every page on a schedule is easy to state and hard to keep. Flagship guides are prioritized for periodic review, and updates are otherwise driven by events: changed guidance, a safety communication, a broken source, or a correction found elsewhere on the site.
How can I tell whether an article is fully developed?
Look for a dated update note near the top, a sources section near the bottom listing the specific references used, and links on specific claims. Medically reviewed pages also carry a reviewer card. A page showing fewer of these signals is still being expanded.
Does a recent update date mean the medical content was re-reviewed?
No. A last-modified date and a medical-review date are recorded separately. An editorial or technical update does not create a new review date on its own; where a change affects a medical conclusion or an emergency instruction it is escalated for medical review.
Do you refresh dates to make pages look current?
No. A substantive update changes the last-modified date. A purely technical or presentational edit does not, and we would rather leave a date alone than refresh it so a page appears newer than it is.
How do you handle pollen seasons and other figures that change each year?
Those pages date the underlying figures and name the source and period they came from, so you can see how current the information is. Where a trend comes from a specific study we say which study and over what years, because a figure with no date attached cannot be judged.
What happens when a source you cited disappears?
A cited source that moves, is withdrawn or stops being reachable prompts an update. The claim is rechecked against a source that can be read, and if no such source supports it, the wording is corrected under our Corrections Policy rather than left standing on a dead link.
If one page is corrected, are related pages checked too?
Yes. A correction that reveals the same claim was reused elsewhere prompts a review of those pages. A figure that was wrong in one place is usually wrong wherever it was repeated.
Is template content presented as original research?
No. Articles still relying primarily on general template content are being expanded over time, and we do not present that content as a personally researched, page-specific guide.