American Medical Association Issues Guidelines for Medical Information Websites

Strategic Insights -

The American Medical Association (AMA) has established a set of guidelines for its own and other medical information websites, aiming to promote transparency, accuracy, and user privacy. These guidelines, published in the March 22/29 issue of the JAMA, cover editorial content, advertising, sponsorship, privacy, and confidentiality. The AMA hopes that other medical information websites will adopt these principles, which are designed to facilitate shared decision-making between patients and physicians.

Key Takeaways:

  • The AMA guidelines emphasize the importance of clearly identifying the source or authors of editorial content, as well as funding or sponsorship for specific content.
  • Sites must distinguish advertising from editorial content and prohibit the placement of advertisements next to editorial content on the same topic.
  • A privacy policy must be posted on the home page, and users must be given the opportunity to opt in or out of allowing their personal information to be tracked.
  • AMA sites will not collect nor allow third parties to collect users' personal information without express consent.
  • Some industry executives have welcomed the AMA's guidelines but questioned their suitability for commercial sites.
  • Competing initiatives, such as the Hi-Ethics Alliance and the Internet Healthcare Coalition's eHealth Ethics Initiative, are also working to establish ethical standards for the Internet healthcare sector.

Statistics:

  • 20 of the largest commercial health sites have formed the Hi-Ethics Alliance to develop a code of ethics.
  • The Internet Healthcare Coalition's eHealth Ethics Initiative is soliciting public comment on its draft guidelines.
  • The AMA's guidelines will be regularly revised in response to advances in technology and public comment.
  • The AMA has no intention of policing or endorsing websites that adopt its guidelines.

Sources:

  • American Medical Association (AMA)
  • JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)
  • Medem (for-profit venture co-owned by the AMA and six medical societies)
  • Mediconsult.com (New York-based medical consulting website)
  • Hi-Ethics Alliance (industry-sponsored effort to develop ethical standards for the Internet healthcare sector)
  • Internet Healthcare Coalition's eHealth Ethics Initiative (nonprofit effort to establish ethical standards for the Internet healthcare sector)