Evidence-Based Medical Content and Development Process

Our Commitment

StayWell Custom Communications (SCC) makes a significant investment annually to medically review content and support its commitment to current high standards of accuracy. Content is developed in conformance with current Practice Guidelines of government agencies and medical specialty organizations. For new content, the staff is exclusively dedicated to developing health communication solutions that are evidence-based, URAC accredited, easy to understand, and behavioral-change focused.

Content Development, Sourcing, Reviews, and Edits/Updates

Content is developed for a range of reading levels, including 5th to12th grades. Reading level is measured with commonly used readability scales (FOG, SMOG, Flesh-Kincaid and FRY). Going beyond readability, SCC is focused on health literacy and developing content using Doak, Doak & Root Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) methodology, which considers the following criteria: content, layout and typography, graphics, cultural appropriateness, learning stimulation motivation and literacy demand. A glossary of terms is included on our online site. Multimedia content facilitates a low literacy reading level with medical illustrations and a diverse selection of multimedia products.

All health content is sourced and dated when edited/updated. It is reviewed annually and no later than 12 to 24 months from the posting date. The SCC staff adheres to a rigorous internal review process for existing content, and current health information leveraged from a variety of other renowned, credible content providers in the field, including Harvard content, Health Day News, and Gold Standard, Inc. Also, content that is affected by significant new medical knowledge (e.g., hormone replacement therapy) is updated expediently.

Interactive tools - all calculators and condition-related risk assessments as well as quizzes relating to specific health topics (smoking, weight loss, exercise, immunizations and screenings, pregnancy, stress, depression, and substance and alcohol use) - are also reviewed annually. Other content is reviewed as appropriate when medical advances or new guidelines arise.

StayWell Custom Communications multimedia production has a strong commitment to quality and medical accuracy in its content development, visual representations, and data interaction. Guiding the development process in multimedia content are the same standards and requirements that direct the creation of all medical content. Throughout the process of the creation of multimedia content, there are several different script/content reviews by the health content clinical team.

In production, the clinical staff reviews many visual beta versions of any production product developed by the graphic artists, animators, and programmers. With each step of the process, the clinical team has multiple opportunities to assure medical accuracy of the final product. All interactive multimedia content undergoes user testing by the staff and other consumer users.

Multimedia content (animations, and clinical wizards) is reviewed on a yearly basis, by our clinical content staff and other medically appropriate reviewers. Findings of reviewers are immediately addressed by the multimedia team.

Great importance is placed on visuals. Our award-winning art is used to:

• Bridge learning barriers - Visuals speak across languages and literacy levels.

• Convey key messages - Images reinforce key content.

• Tie content and audience together - Offer real-life examples and solutions.

SCC research methods include our on-site medical library (journal articles, practice guidelines, subscription databases), interviews with medical experts, attendance at medical association meetings and conferences, professionally conducted surveys, roundtable discussions with industry professionals and focus groups with both practitioners and end-users of our products.

Our Quality Oversight Committee and online editors meet on a quarterly basis and make updates to accommodate new medical practices and knowledge.

Medical Reviewers

StayWell Custom Communication medical reviewers - all specialists in their fields - are charged to assure that the content is evidence-based and that recommendations made on a particular topic are consistent across all content on that topic.

To ensure accurate and accessible content, SCC has an in-house team of:

• Product editors

• Project managers

• Writers

• Designers

• Medical illustrators

• Medical editors

• Developmental editors

• Research librarians

• Spanish translators

Content Developers:

StayWell Custom Communications employs a highly skilled team of Medical and RN authors, editors, and reviewers. Each medical writer has many years of experience in writing patient education materials for hospitals, health systems, private organizations, and professional organizations. Each nurse or physician also has numerous years of professional experience in various specialties, such as cardiology, infectious diseases, pediatrics, pulmonary diseases, organ transplantation (kidney, liver), orthopaedics, clinical research, and oncology.

Other areas of specialty that are represented by the SCC clinical staff include: pediatric nurse practitioner, masters degree in public health, masters degree in psychiatric nursing, nurse practitioner in maternal/child health, genetic counseling, medical internist, managed care and health insurance industry experience, legal medical consulting, and an on-site certified medical illustrator.

In addition to their clinical experience, our writers have published in both nursing and physician medical journals, are active in professional organizations, have conducted professional national presentations, serve as guest editors for nursing journals in their specialty area, and have many years of clinical and patient/family education experience. Many team members have also held or currently hold positions as professors of nursing, while others have developed and implemented comprehensive patient/family educational programs.

Below is a sample of the experience and accomplishments of our medical writers and reviewers.

Education:

Our RN writers have either a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or a Master's degree in business administration, health administration, nursing, science, or related disciplines. Many are certified in their areas of specialty.

Leadership Roles:

• Chairman of Patient and Family Education Committees

• Project Coordinators for Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare

• Currently holding management positions and/or clinical positions in various departments at local hospitals

• Active role in professional nursing organizations

• Who's Who in Rising Young Americans

• Outstanding Employee Awards

Certifications:

• Certified Critical Care Nurse

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Provider

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Instructor

• Basic Life Support Instructor

• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Provider

• Certified Poison Information Specialist

• Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse

• Certified Pediatric Nurse

• Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC)

• Certified Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist

• Certifications in various clinical techniques

• Oncology Certified Nurse

Publications:

• Editor - Orthopaedic Nursing Journal

• Guest Editor - Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatal Nursing

• Published articles in Journal of Continuing Education for the Family Physician, Nursing Spectrum, Atlanta Sports and Fitness Magazine, Journal of Nursing Administrations, and Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc.

• Written patient education materials for ACOG (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology)

• Pregnancy Textbook - Multiple Births

• ACS Textbook - Couples Confronting Cancer: Keeping Your Relationship Strong

• Contributor - Gastroenterology Nursing: A Core Curriculum

• Contributor - Clinical Handbook Of Pediatric Gastroenterology

Presentations:

• Lecturer for Cardiovascular Nursing Program

• Guest Lecturer for National Pediatric Cardiology Symposium

• National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses - National Convention

Research:

Primary Investigators in various research studies, such as those involving HIV/AIDS, multiple births, infectious diseases, cancer, gastroenterology, pediatric-labeling for drugs, and cardiovascular conditions.

Practice Guidelines We Follow

In developing content, StayWell Custom Communications meets the current practice guidelines and standards of care of the prestigious organizations listed below:

Cardiology:

• American Heart Association

• American College of Cardiology

• Department of Health and Human Services

Dental:

• American Dental Association

• American Academy of Periodontology

• American Society of Reproductive Medicine

• American Association of Orthodontists

• American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

• American Academy of General Dentistry

• American College of Prosthodontists

• American Association of Endodontists

• American Academy of Periodontology

• American College of Prosthodontics

Diabetes:

• American Diabetes Association

• American Podiatric Medical Association

• International Diabetes Center

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

• American Dietetic Association

Eye Care:

• American Academy of Ophthalmology

• American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery

• Eye Surgery Education Council

Gastroenterology:

• American College of Gastroenterology

• American Cancer Society

• American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery

• National Comprehensive Cancer Network

• National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

• Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons

• American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons

• American College of Gastroenterology

• Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons

OB/GYN:

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

• American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopists

• National Academy of Family Physicians

• National Institutes of Health

• American Society of Reproductive Medicine

• American Academy of Pediatrics

• American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology

• American Society of Reproductive Medicine

• Society of Reproductive Surgeons

• North American Menopause Association

• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

• National Vaginitis Association

Oncology:

• American Cancer Society

• National Cancer institute

• National Cervical Cancer Coalition

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

• Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation

• National Comprehensive Cancer Network

• American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery

Orthopedics:

• American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons

• Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network

• National Association for Sport and Physical Education

• North American Spine Society

Public Health (includes Infectious Disease):

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• American Social Health Association

Pulmonary:

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

• Asthma and Allergy Foundation

• American Lung Foundation

• National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

• GOLD: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease

• American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP)

• American Association for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR)

Urology:

• American Foundation for Urologic Disease

• American Urological Association

StayWell Custom Communications content - whether existing and being updated or new - is intelligently indexed and mapped to MeSH concepts as a common keyword scheme. MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) is an industry-standard vocabulary maintained by the National Library of Medicine.

Our Medical Library

Allergies

• Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America

• The Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology

• Middleton Allergy: Principles and Practice

Cardiology

• American Heart Association/American Stroke Association

• American College of Cardiology

• American Association for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation

• Heart Failure Society of America

• Heart Rhythm Society

• Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions

• Society of Thoracic Surgeons

• American Association of Thoracic Surgery

• American Society of Hypertension

• Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals

• American Heart Hospital Journal

• Braunwald's Heart Disease

• Cardiology Clinics

• Circulation (including supplements)

• Clinical Electrocardiography

• Harvard Heart Letter

• Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography

• Journal Watch for Cardiology

• Pediatric Cardiology for Practitioners

• Progress in Cardiovascular Nursing

Complementary & Alternative Medicine

• Integrative Medicine

• Textbook of Natural Medicine

Dentistry

• American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

• Journal of the American Dental Association

Developments in Medicine

• HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report

• Healthcare Informatics

• Internet Medicine

• JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association

• Med Ad News

• Medical Clinics of North America

• Medicine on the Net

• New England Journal of Medicine

• Nation's Health

• Postgraduate Medicine

Dermatology

• Clinical Dermatology: Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy

• Dermatologic Clinics

• Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

Diabetes

• American Diabetes Association

• American Podiatric Medical Association

• International Diabetes Center

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

• American Dietetic Association

• American Association of Diabetes Educators

• Endocrine Society

• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

• National Kidney Foundation

• Diabetes Educator

• Diabetes Forecast

• Diabetes Self-Management

Emergency Medicine

• Annals of Emergency Medicine

• Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine

• Clinical Toxicology

• Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America

• Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice

• Wilderness Medicine

Endocrinology

• Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America

• Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism

• Williams Textbook of Endocrinology

Eye Care

• American Academy of Ophthalmology

• American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery

• Eye Surgery Education Council

• American Academy of Optometry

Family Practice

• American Family Physician

• Annals of Family Medicine

• Clinics in Family Practice

• Physicians Desk Reference

• Rakel's Textbook of Family Practice

• Textbook of Family Practice

Gastroenterology

• American College of Gastroenterology

• American Cancer Society (ACS)

• National Comprehensive Cancer Network

• National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

• American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons

• Society of American

• The American Journal of Gastroenterology

• Clinics in Liver Disease

• Gastroenterology Clinics of North America

• Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease

General Health and Wellness

• Canadian Medical Association Journal

• Mayo Clinic Health Letter

• Modern Healthcare

• Nation's Health

• Prevention

• Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter

• University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter

Geriatrics

• Clinics in Geriatric Medicine

• Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

• Practice of Geriatrics

Health Statistics

• American Journal of Public Health

• Nation's Health

• Statistical Abstract of the United States

• United States Government Manual

Infectious Diseases

• Infectious Disease Clinics of North America

• Infectious Diseases

• Krugman's Principles and Practices of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

• Mandell's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases

Internal Medicine

• Annals of Internal Medicine

• Cecil Textbook of Medicine

• Clinical Toxicology

• Chest

• Clinics in Chest Medicine

• Conn's Current Therapy

• Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice

• Internal Medicine News

• Mayo Clinic Health Letter

• The Osler Medical Handbook

• Postgraduate Medicine

• Textbook of Respiratory Medicine

• Up-To-Date

Laboratory Medicine

• Clinical Laboratory Medicine

Neurology

• Neurologic Clinics

• Neurology

• Textbook of Clinical Neurology

Nutrition

• Food Insight

• Nutrition Action Health Letter

• Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter

Ob/Gyn

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

• American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopists

• National Academy of Family Physicians

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• American Academy of Pediatrics

• American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology

• American Society of Reproductive Medicine

• North American Menopause Association

• National Vaginitis Association

• American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology

• Clinics in Perinatology

• Comprehensive Gynecology

• Contemporary Ob-Gyn

• The Female Patient (Obstetrics/Gynecology Edition)

• Gabbe's Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies

• Obstetrics & Gynecology

• Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America

Oncology

• American Institute for Cancer Research Newsletter

• Clinical Oncology

• Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America

• American Cancer Society

• National Cancer Institute (NCI)

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

• National Comprehensive

Ophthalmology

• Ophthalmology Clinics of North America

• Ophthalmology Management

• Ophthalmology Times

• Review of Ophthalmology

• Yanoff: Ophthalmology

Orthopaedics

• American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons

• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

• American Journal of Sports Medicine

• Arthritis Today

• Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics

• Chiropractic Products

• Clinics in Sports Medicine

• DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine

• Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - American Edition

• Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeon

• National Association for Sport and Physical Education

• North American Spine Society

• National Osteoporosis Foundation

• Scoliosis Research Society

• Orthopaedic Nursing

• The Orthopedic Clinics of North America

• Orthopedics Today

• Physical Therapy Journal

• Podiatry Management

• Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America

• Skeletal Trauma: Basic Science, Management, and Reconstruction

Otolaryngology

• The Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America

• Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

Patient Education and Care

• Advocate

• American Journal of Health Promotion

• American Journal of Managed Care

• Conn's Current Therapy

• Creative Training Techniques Newsletter

• Critical Care Clinics

• Critical Care Medicine

• Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

• Ferri's Clinical Advisor

• Health plan

• Hospital Blue Book

• Hospital Outlook

• Hospitals and Health Networks

• Nursing (Year) (Hospital Library Ed.)

• Nursing Made Easy

• Patient Care

• Patient Education Management

• Practical Guide to the Care of the Medical Patient

• Primary Care Clinics in Office Practice

• Textbook of Primary Care Medicine

Pediatrics

• Adolescent Medicine Clinics

• Harriett Lane Handbook

• Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

• The Journal of Pediatrics

• Krugman's Infectious Diseases of Children

• Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics

• Pediatric Cardiology for Practitioners

• The Pediatric Clinics of North America

• Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

• Principles and Practices of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

• Skeletal Trauma in Children

Pharmacology

• USP Di, Vol II, Advice for the Patient

Public Health

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• American Social Health Association

• National Center for Health Statistics

• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

• American Red Cross

Pulmonary Disease

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

• Asthma and Allergy Foundation,

• American Lung Association

• National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

• GOLD: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease

• American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP)

• American Association for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR)

Psychiatry

• Handbook of Medical Psychiatry

• Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

• The Psychiatric Clinics of North America

• Psychiatric Secrets

Radiology

• Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology

• The Radiologic Clinics of North America

Rheumatology

• Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology

Safety

• California Employer Advisor

• Family Safety & Health

• Human Resource Executive

• Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

• OSHA Up to Date

• Prevention

• Safety + Health

• Today's Administrative Professional

• Workforce

Surgeries and Procedures

• Anesthesia

• Anesthesiology

• Anesthesiology Clinics of North America

• Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons

• General Surgery News

• Journal of the American College of Surgeons

• Journal of Clinical Anesthesia

• Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

• Outpatient Surgery

• Sabiston Textbook of Surgery

• The Surgical Clinics of North America

Trends in Health

• American Journal of Public Health

• Business Week

• Consumer Reports on Health

• Ebony

• The Economist (North American Edition)

• Generations

• Health

• Latina

• Mayo Clinic Health Letter

• Metropolitan Home

• Modern Healthcare

• Nation's Health

• Newsweek

• New York Times

• People (Spanish Edition)

• San Francisco Chronicle

• Scientific American

• Self

• Time

• US News and World Report

• USA Today

• Vanity Fair

• Wall Street Journal

Trends in Men's Health

• Gentlemen's Quarterly

• Harvard Men's Health Watch

• The Journal of Men's Health and Gender

• Men's Health

Trends in Women's Health

• Cosmopolitan

• Elle

• Glamour

• Harvard Women's Health Watch

• Ladies Home Journal

• Vogue

• Woman's Day

Urology

• American Foundation for Urologic Disease

• American Urological Association

• National Kidney Foundation

• Kidney and Urology Foundation of America

• American Journal of Kidney Diseases

• Brenner & Rector's The Kidney

• Campbell's Urology

• Family Urology

• Journal of the American Society of Nephrology

• The Urologic Clinics of North America

Approved by the Quality Oversight Committee, October 2008