Medical Review Policy

Editorial review is not the same as medical review

Every article on this site goes through editorial development: research using clinical guidelines and peer-reviewed sources, plain-language writing, and inline citation of specific claims. That process is described in our Editorial Policy and Evidence Standards pages.

Medical review is a distinct, additional step: an identifiable, qualified clinician reading a specific article and confirming its clinical accuracy. As of this writing, articles on The Sleep Record have not undergone that additional independent medical review. They are researched and cited using authoritative and peer-reviewed medical sources, but that is not the same thing as clinician review, and we don’t want the presence of citations to be read as a substitute for it.

When we say a page is “medically reviewed”

A page will only display a “Medically reviewed by” credit if an identifiable, qualified reviewer has actually reviewed that specific piece of content. We will not infer or imply review status from the presence of citations, the quality of sources used, or how confident an article sounds.

When a page has been medically reviewed, we display:

• The reviewer’s name and professional credential
• The date of review
• The scope of what was reviewed

If any of that information is missing for a given article, the article has not been medically reviewed, regardless of how it reads.

What a medical reviewer would assess

When independent medical review is added to an article, the reviewer’s role is to evaluate:

• Clinical accuracy of the specific claims made
• Whether the evidence cited is interpreted appropriately, including its limitations
• Whether safety language is adequate — for example, guidance on when to seek professional care
• Whether the article stays within an educational, non-diagnostic, non-treatment boundary
• Whether any recommendation goes further than the underlying evidence actually supports

No reviewer is named because none currently exists

We are not going to name a reviewer, credential, or affiliation that doesn’t correspond to an actual person who has reviewed this content. If and when a qualified reviewer is engaged, this policy — and the relevant articles — will be updated to name them specifically.

This site is an educational resource. It does not provide diagnosis or treatment and is not a substitute for care from a qualified clinician.