Features
Who Makes it Happen
Additional Content Resources/Partners
Editorial Guidelines
Conflict of Interest Policies
Editorial Process
Medical Review Board

Thanks for stopping by AHealthyMe.com.

This site is produced by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) for use by anyone who is interested in keeping themselves and their loved ones healthy.

It's designed to give you immediate, open access to information on the health issues that are important to you--at the moment they become important to you.

At BCBSMA we're dedicated to helping people live happier, healthier lives, and whenever possible--to removing the obstacles that sometimes get in the way of reaching that goal. It's part of a corporate-wide focus centered around really listening to our members, and this site is the result of that process.

Today, we're working harder than ever to provide, worry-free access to the very best healthcare in the world. And now, the very best in healthcare information.

We hope you enjoy the site, and for more information about our company please log on to bcbsma.com, or you can mail us at:

Landmark Center
401 Park Drive
Boston, MA 02215-3326

•Personalized health and wellness information

You will receive the latest news and information on fitness, nutrition, parenting, women's health, pregnancy, alternative health, and more. You can even tailor AHealthyMe.com to suit your individual needs, and receive personalized e-mail updates on the health and wellness information that's important to you.

•An outstanding database of health articles and reference materials

You can search the extensive database of respected medical journals and consumer publications for articles of interest. Unlike other Web sites that provide only abstracts of articles or news highlights, AHealthyMe.com provides full-text versions when available.

Consumer Health Interactive is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVS Caremark Corporation. CVS Caremark is the nation's premier integrated pharmacy services provider, combining one of the nation's leading pharmaceutical services companies with the country’s largest pharmacy chain. The company fills or manages more than one billion prescriptions per year, more than any other pharmacy services provider.

For more information about Consumer Health Interactive, you can visit our website at http://www.consumerhi.com, or reach us at:

Consumer Health Interactive
CVS Caremark
436 14^th Street, Suite 1500
Oakland, CA 94612
510.873.8440

You can find more information about the CVS Caremark Executive team here. For more information about CVS Caremark, you can visit us online at www.cvs.com.

When considering potential partners and vendors for our Web sites, Consumer Health Interactive seeks companies that adhere to scrupulous business practices and clinical guidelines. CHI also thoroughly reviews the clinical content of all third party vendors. For example:

•CHI's editorial team and medical director review all third-party clinical content for quality, accuracy, balance, and tone

•CHI expects vendors to provide annual updates of all content. Articles may be updated more frequently on a case-by-case basis.

•CHI's medical director signs off on clinical tools after changes have been incorporated. Interactive tools may also be evaluated by members of CHI's medical review board.

•American WholeHealth Networks, Inc.

American WholeHealth Networks, Inc. is the nation's largest complementary health and wellness company, dedicated to serving more than 44 million patients through collaborative relationships with health plans and more than 25,000 providers nationwide. The company's network consists of more than 35 CAM specialties, including Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, and Nutritional Counseling, as well as Personal Trainers, Yoga and Pilates Instructors, Mind/Body Therapies, Spas, Fitness Centers, and more. AWHN supports consumers via its award-winning, educational site WholeHealthMD.com. Network participants are supported through WholeHealthPro.com, a professional website that helps practitioners better serve their patients and improve their business. For more information about American WholeHealth Networks, visit http://www.americanwholehealth.com.

•Axxya Systems

Axxya Systems, the leading provider of nutrition software and database, is the source for the nutrition information found in the Nutrition Toolbox. Axxya Systems offers the most comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date nutrition knowledge base, along with the Nutritionist Pro™ family of software products. By searching this nutrition database from Axxya Systems, you can get up-to-date information on the calories, fat and vitamin content of thousands of foods—knowledge every customer should have.

•Gold Standard

Gold Standard is a leading developer of drug information databases, software, and clinical information solutions. With Gold Standard’s easy-to-use Clinical Pharmacology medication management tools, you can become more knowledgeable about the medications you and your family members are taking, reduce potential medication errors, ensure that you follow a safe drug regimen, and get the important health information you need. The Clinical Pharmacology Drug Database is written in easy-to-understand language, and available in both English and Spanish. The tool provides information on all commonly prescribed U.S. prescription drugs, as well as on alternative medications, such as herbals, vitamins, and over-the-counter products. You can also get thorough explanations about what the medication is taken for, what to know before taking it, how to take it, where to store it, possible side effects, and more.

The Clinical Pharmacology Drug Interaction Alert safeguards against dangerous interactions between prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as herbal and nutritional products. The tool can also screen for interactions against specific lifestyle factors, such as whether you have a feeding tube, and whether you drink caffeine, alcohol, or grapefruit juice. In seconds, you can easily create a report that shows potential interactions within your drug regimen. The report also provides detailed explanations of these interactions, complete with severity rankings and the steps you should take in the event of an interaction.

•EBSCO

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Center of Excellence (CAM) is a complementary and alternative medicine database designed specifically for the consumer-health researcher. This database provides current, up-to-date information that will satisfy an ever-growing demand for accurate, unbiased information on natural health. The database contains more than three hundred articles on medical conditions, presenting in an evidence-based manner the alternative medicine therapies proposed for use in their treatment. It also contains detailed, evidence-based information on herbs and supplements, functional foods, and other alternative therapies such as acupuncture and homeopathy. An additional section, linked to the others, provides comprehensive information on drug/herb/supplement interactions. The articles contained in the database are entirely based on double-blind, placebo-controlled studies and other forms of meaningful scientific evidence. At present, more than 12,000 such studies are cited in the material, and new studies are added regularly. The evidence-based content has been developed and reviewed by a team of physicians and pharmacologists with the goal of providing consumers with reliable information.

•HealthStatus.com, Inc.

HealthStatus.com, Inc. was formed in 1998 as a closely held company for the purpose of bringing quality Internet-based assessments and calculators to market.

The data you provide which is collected by Health Status for use in tabulating the Health Assessments is available to us only in generalized, aggregate reports. It cannot be tied to information that identifies you or any condition you may have. Health Status does however store information you submit in the assessment for the purposes of creating a risk assessment for you. You will want to review Health Status' privacy policy which is found on their public website.

Evaluation Process:

HealthStatus.com, Inc. evaluates data and algorithms based on whether the information is:

•Generally accepted as a practice, recommendation, rule, algorithm or question set that has been in use by the medical profession routinely for more than five years

•Endorsed or recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General

•Published as a peer reviewed study that is substantiated by at least one other published peer reviewed study

•In accordance with the goals of Healthier People 2010 (a national preventive program managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

•Used as a baseline from a federally funded resource that reflects the most current data available

Every six months, HealthStatus.com, Inc. reviews all aspects of the messages and recommendations generated by the HealthStatus.com assessments and calculators to ensure they meet at least one aspect of the criteria listed above.

The following references were used by HealthStatus.com, Inc. in creating the various health assessment tools found on this site:

•General Health Risk, Algorithm from Healthier People Health Risk Assessment published by the Carter Center of Emory University. Composite mortality data for years 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998 compiled from detailed mortality data supplied by the Centers for Disease Control

•Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. Executive summary of the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) expert panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults (AdultTreatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001.

•Dupuy HJ. Chapter 9: The Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) Index. Selected test instruments. IN: Wenger NK, Mattson ME, et al. Assessment of Quality of Life in Clinical Trials of Cardiovascular Therapies.

•American Heart Association -- Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Americans.

•National Cholesterol Education Program NHLBI Information Center.

•Alcohol, Dietary Guidelines for Americans from Fifth Edition, 2000, US Department of Agriculture, US Department of Health and Human Services.

•Cardiac Risk, "Anderson KM, Wilson PWF, et al. An updated coronary risk profile," Circulation. 1991; 83: 356-362 data from the Framingham Study and the cardiac section of the Healthier People Health Risk Assessment published by the Carter Center of Emory University.

•Diabetes Risk, "American Diabetes Association. Take the test and know the score," 1997

•Fitness Assessment, ACSM's Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, Fourth Edition, Thomas S, Reading J, Shephard RJ. Revision of the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q). Can J Sport Sci. 1992; 17:338-345. Shephard R, Bailey DA, Mirwald RL. Development of the Canadian Home Fitness Test. CMA Journal. 1976; 114: 675-679

•The PDR Family Guide Encyclopedia of Medical Care

Much of the content in the Health A-Z area of this site comes from the PDR Family Guide Encyclopedia of Medical Care. What are the most important steps to take after your doctor's visit? PDR's Family Guide Encyclopedia of Medical Care will help you find that out. Published by Medical Economics, one of the leading publishers of medical magazines and directories, this guide gives you in-depth information on hundreds of common medical problems and treatments -- plus instructions on self-care after seeing the doctor. In addition, it tells you what to expect during and after clinic visits and hospitalization, as well as crucial warnings signs of emergencies and complications that need immediate medical attention.

A business unit of Thomson Healthcare, Medical Economics Company produces more than 170 medical magazines, newsletters, and online directories. The company also focuses on new technology and Internet healthcare products.

•ProQuest Information and Learning

Thanks to ProQuest Information and Learning, CHI offers a weekly selection of hundreds of specialized journals rich in hard-to-find health and medical information. ProQuest Information and Learning, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is among the nation's leading distributors of online journals and magazines. Among the magazines and journals it carries are Child Health Alert, the American Journal of Sports Medicine, Diabetes Forecast, The Lancet, Nutrition Action Health Information Newsletter, and Pediatrics for Parents.

Copyright © 2001 ProQuest Information and Learning; All Rights Reserved. Only fair use, as provided by the United States copyright law, is permitted. ProQuest Information and Learning makes no warranty regarding the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the Publications or the records they contain, or any warranty, express or implied, including any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, and shall not be liable for damages of any kind or lost profits or other claims related to them or their uses.

•Vanguard

We use Vanguard Software's Vista survey product to provide fun, interactive surveys and quick poll questions to our eNewsletter subscribers and site visitors. Survey responses are always anonymous, designed to capture a snapshot of our visitors' thoughts and attitudes about our Web site, our services, and healthcare topics. Although the results are unscientific, they help us improve our services and the healthcare information we provide based on actual user feedback. Vista surveys work with all browsers and security settings. Vanguard Software is a privately-held corporation founded in 1995.

•Yesmail

Our eNewsletters on general health and various conditions are produced by Consumer Health Interactive, and are delivered to subscribers by Yesmail, Inc. We use Yesmail's software and services to deliver valuable health information right to our subscribers' e-mail mailboxes. Yesmail is an infoUSA company and is part of the Donnelley Marketing Group.

Our content management guidelines are designed to maintain the highest standards of editorial credibility and integrity and to offer clients engaging, trustworthy, and accurate content. To ensure this, our editorial and advertising policies follow the editorial guidelines adopted by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, Medscape, Health on the Net, and other e-health online ethics organizations, which take into account medical ethics, journalism ethics, business ethics, and the ethics of medical editing. These guidelines, which appear below, call for a clear and consistent separation of editorial and promotional content:

a. Advertising should comply with the laws of the United States. Any other CHI sites established in other countries should also comply with the laws of the country where the site is built and maintained.

b. Under no circumstances shall CHI's acceptance of an advertisement be considered an endorsement of the product advertised or the company that manufactured it.

c. CHI retains the right to reject advertising and will not accept advertising for any products or services that makes unsubstantiated claims or are known to be harmful to health, such as tobacco products, and will not knowingly accept advertisements or grants from companies that manufacture such products.

d. CHI maintains editorial independence and makes a clear distinction between advertising and the editorial process and decision-making. Current or potential sponsors may not influence the editorial content, or its tone or approach, that appears on the CHI site.

e. CHI readers should be able to easily distinguish between promotional and editorial material. To ensure that this happens, all content developed by a sponsor or advertiser and other "advertorial" content will be clearly labeled as such.

f. Any Continuing Education programs posted on CHI will be developed in accordance with the guidelines of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

g. CHI will not sell advertising for a product on the condition that it appear in the same location and at the same time as a specific article mentioning that product.

h. Advertisers will not influence the way search results by keyword or topic are displayed on the site.

i. Within the bounds of appropriate editorial context, CHI will consider for publication criticisms of content and/or advertisements or CHI stories and/or advertisement policies.

The Consumer Health Interactive (CHI) editorial team brings decades of experience and a Pulitzer Prize to the task of creating reliable and engaging health content. Our writers and editors have worked for many of the nation's largest daily newspapers, medical trade journals, consumer health magazines (including the award-winning magazines Hippocrates and Health), and for several of the largest online providers of health information. Our editorial staff thoroughly researches and fact checks all the content we write, including primers, special reports, quizzes, health diaries, interactive tools, and calculators. Everything we create is also reviewed for accuracy and safety by our medical advisory board.

Anyone who serves on the CHI staff is expected to report accurately and without bias on any news story. All writers and editors (including freelancers) must avoid financial or other interests in any drug, biotech, medical-device, or health-care company, or any other company perceived to have influence in the health-care industry. If staff members have any such interests, they must be disclosed to their immediate supervisor at the time they are hired, or at the time that the financial or other interest develops. The supervisor will determine whether the interest presents a conflict to accurate reporting and, if so, what must be done to eliminate it.

Consumer Health Interactive is a division of Caremark, the nation's largest pharmacy benefit management company (PBM). As stated in CHI's editorial guidelines (in the "About Us" section of the site), CHI maintains editorial independence and requires a separation between editorial and commercial interests at all levels.

For a listing of our writing and editorial staff, please click here.

1. Stories are assigned to an experienced health and medical writer, many of whom come from Time Inc. Health, Hippocrates, the Washington Post, and other nationally recognized publications. Some are physicians or medical researchers themselves.

2. The reporter researches the story, doing interviews with researchers in the field (usually nationally recognized or affiliated with a leading medical school or research project) and combs through medical studies, government reports, and other data. After writing the story, he or she sends a factchecking packet that includes names and phone numbers for his sources and primary source materials (peer-reviewed journals, interview notes, government or academic reports, excerpts from textbooks, and so on).

3. An editor at Consumer Health Interactive reviews the story and does a line and structural edit. The story then goes to the executive editor or another senior editor for top edit.

4. After top edit, the story goes to the research editor and factcheckers, who take the writer's factchecking materials and check the story against them, line by line. He or she also calls the sources and checks their titles, affiliations, and points of view expressed in the article. At the same time, the story is sent to a copy editor, who corrects its grammar, punctuation, spelling, and syntax; he or she also checks for consistency in tone and approach.

5. An editor incorporates the factchecking and copyediting changes into the piece.

6. An editor sends the story, now factchecked and copyedited, to a medical reviewer on CHI's medical review board (Editorial Board). Reviewers are typically board-certified physicians, pharmacists, or other health providers in clinical practice; many are nationally recognized experts and researchers in their field from universities such as Harvard and Yale. An oncologist specializing in breast cancer would review articles on breast cancer, and so on. Their comments are incorporated into the story and sent back for a final sign-off. If there are additional comments, those are incorporated, too.

7. The piece is sent back to the writer for approval. If the writer suggests any changes, they have to be run past the medical reviewer again.

8. The piece is then posted on CHI's Consumer Direct sites, with appropriate artwork and graphics.

We offer readers both a daily health news service and articles from dozens of peer-reviewed medical journals. Health news on the site is refreshed daily on:

-- The home page
-- Channel pages such as Women's Health
-- Dozens of topic pages on everything from heart disease to mental health

In addition, CHI content is continually updated through the following:
-- Standard updates

Editors review all the original content on CHI sites annually and update the stories as necessary.
-- Immediate updates

CHI content is updated immediately whenever urgent new information renders existing articles out of date. Such information may include:

-- Major drug and supplement recalls and alerts
-- Changes in federal guidelines for disease management
-- Major medical studies with the potential to affect treatment guidelines

Quality Improvement

CHI defines credibility as providing content that is authoritative, trustworthy, timely, and accurate. We continually strive to improve the quality of our site content through:

-- Professional editing, research, fact-checking, medical review, and updating
-- Continually creating new stories, special reports, audio, and interactive tools with the goal of helping consumers improve their health
-- Monitoring daily, weekly, and monthly traffic patterns on the site to track reader trends and interests
-- Holding quarterly focus groups and doing regular surveys of clients and site visitors
-- Having an ongoing dialogue with clients
-- Regularly upgrading our home page graphics with topical news photos
-- Attending public health conferences and seminars
-- Reading more than 25 print and online health publications to keep abreast of the latest in health and medical news. These include:
---- The Harvard Mental Health Newsletter
---- The Johns Hopkins White Papers
---- The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics
---- Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter
---- New England Journal of Medicine
---- JAMA

The medical reviewers for Consumer Health Interactive include physicians and other clinicians who work at the National Institutes of Health or teach at Harvard Medical School, Yale, Stanford, and other top universities and health agencies across the country. Most of CHI's reviewers are practicing clinicians and department heads; most are researchers who have published widely in their field; and many have either written textbooks or served as reviewers for the leading peer-reviewed journals in their field. CHI is lucky to have such a diverse, talented, and hard-working board.

Last updated June 13, 2006