Enhancing Trustworthiness in Online Health Related Information

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In the internet age, more and more people are turning to online sources for health  and wellness information. 

However, not all online health content is trustworthy or reliable. 

As a health related company owner, building user trust should be a top priority.

According to Google’s Quality Raters Guidelines, trustworthiness is a critical component of high-quality pages, especially for Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) topics like health. 

This article will focus specifically on the “T” in “E-E-A-T” – Trustworthiness.

By emphasizing trust-building elements in your health website, you can reassure visitors that your content is accurate, safe, and credible. Read on to learn tangible tips for improving and demonstrating trustworthiness.

What Does Trustworthiness Mean for Online Health Information?

When visitors arrive at your health related website, how can you make them feel confident in the accuracy and credibility of your content? 

Trustworthiness comes down to expertise and transparency.

Users want to understand your health qualifications and credentials. They also want assurances that your content is regularly reviewed and updated. 

Any claims, statistics, or health recommendations should include clear citations from expert sources.

Additionally, a professional site design with thoughtful UX decisions—like making key site information easy to find—makes a strong trust statement. 

So do visible signs of expertise, such as doctor review systems and advisory board pages.

In short, trustworthiness means that users…

• Understand the expertise behind your health content
• Believe your health information is accurate and unbiased
• Feel safe acting on your health recommendations

Cultivating user trust should be central in your health content and web design strategies. The upcoming sections provide even more tangible tips on improving and demonstrating trust for health related websites.

How is Trustworthiness Determined in an Online Health Source?

Trustworthiness of an online health source depends on who is providing the health information, why they are providing it, and when it was created or updated.

Why?

The qualifications and expertise of the authors and organizations behind health content is crucial for establishing trustworthiness. 

Health websites should provide clear information about who created the content and their credentials, such as a medical degree, professional certifications, affiliations with reputable health organizations, etc. 

Any claims, statistics, or health recommendations should include references to credible expert sources and legitimate scientific research.

Who?

Trustworthy health related websites have content created by subject matter experts, such as doctors, nurses, dietitians, therapists, recognized health professionals, or reputable organizations known for producing high-quality health information (e.g. Mayo Clinic, American Heart Association). 

Articles and studies from respected medical journals add to the credibility of a health website.

User-generated health content, such as forums, should be monitored by medical professionals. 

Additionally, user-generated content on social media or rating sites may lack expertise and oversight, making it a less authoritative health source.

When?

Health information can become outdated as new discoveries occur. 

Trustworthy health companies will display dates indicating when content was published or last reviewed. 

Look for evidence that the site regularly reviews and updates their content to incorporate latest advancements. 

Sources that have not been updated in many years lack trustworthiness.

Trustworthiness vs. Authoritativeness

Trustworthiness and authoritativeness are related concepts, but have some key differences.

Authoritativeness refers to whether a source is considered an authority and go-to expert on a particular topic. 

Authoritative sources are regarded as reputable and reliable by others in their field.

Trustworthiness encompasses authoritativeness, but also includes other factors like accuracy, truthfulness, bias, and the motivation of the source. 

A source can be authoritative without being completely trustworthy.

For example, an influential fashion magazine may be authoritative for style trends, but some content may be influenced by advertisers and not completely unbiased. 

Or a popular beauty blogger may be authoritative on cosmetics, but receive free products from brands, creating a conflict of interest.

Likewise, sources with no particular authority or expertise could still be highly trustworthy if they provide fully accurate information with no deception or ulterior motives. 

For instance, a personal blog about renovating a home could be quite trustworthy and helpful, even if written by an average person with no credentials in home improvement.

When evaluating the quality of a page, authoritativeness is best determined by researching what respected experts in the field say about the source. 

However, trustworthiness requires a more holistic evaluation of factors like accuracy, motivations, deception, and harm. 

Authority does not guarantee trust.

Pages and sources should be scrutinized for any signs of distrustfulness, such as inaccurate or misleading information, biased or one-sided perspectives, conflicts of interest, or questionable business practices. 

This is especially important for topics with a high risk of harm, such as medical, financial, or other YMYL topics.

Trustworthiness vs. Authoritativeness Comparison Table

Aspect	Trustworthiness	Authoritativeness
Definition	Refers to the reliability, accuracy, truthfulness, and unbiased nature of a source.	Refers to whether a source is considered an authority and expert on a particular topic.
Focus	Overall reliability and integrity of the content.	Reputation and reliability within a specific field.
Factors	Includes factors like accuracy, truthfulness, bias, and motivation of the source.	Primarily concerned with the source’s standing and recognition in its field.
Good Examples	A personal blog about home renovation by an average person with no credentials, providing accurate and unbiased information.	An influential fashion magazine known for style trends or a popular beauty blogger in cosmetics.
Evaluation Method	Holistic evaluation of accuracy, motivations, deception, and potential harm.	Researching what respected experts in the field say about the source.
Relation to Each Other	Encompasses authoritativeness but adds additional layers of evaluation.	A component of trustworthiness but not sufficient on its own.
Consideration of Bias and Motivation	High emphasis on uncovering any biases, conflicts of interest, or ulterior motives.	Less emphasis compared to trustworthiness, although still relevant.
Importance in High-Risk Topics	Crucial for topics with high risk of harm (e.g., medical, financial).	Important but not the sole criterion for evaluating quality.

In summary, authoritativeness is one component of trustworthiness. 

While authority is important, a source should not be considered High or Highest quality if any aspects seem deceptive, biased, or potentially harmful to users, regardless of the authoritativeness of the source.

How to Build and Demonstrate Trustworthiness as an Online Health Related Company

Building user trust should be a priority for any website or content creator publishing health related information online. 

Follow these tips to make your health content more trustworthy:

Emphasize evidence-based information in all content

Any health content you publish should be grounded in scientific evidence and expert consensus. Here are some tips:

• Begin articles by introducing the accepted scientific research, established clinical guidelines, or recommendations from reputable health organizations that support the main message. This demonstrates you are providing accurate information backed by the medical community’s current understanding.
• If discussing alternative or holistic treatments, take care to accurately explain the level of evidence and what most experts say about their efficacy and safety. Represent the mainstream expert consensus, even if it conflicts with advocates of alternative approaches.
• Quote advice only from health professionals with clearly established expertise relevant to the specific topic. Avoid referencing advice from celebrities or influencers without formal medical qualifications.

Display qualifications, credentials, and expertise of authors and contributors

Providing bios for your writers and contributors is crucial for establishing authority. Be sure to highlight relevant qualifications like:

• Medical degrees, nursing degrees, dietetics licenses, therapy certifications, or other professional credentials related to the health topics covered.
• Institutional affiliations, such as currently practicing at well-regarded hospitals, medical schools, clinics, or other healthcare facilities.
• For doctors or other clinicians, list any board certifications, specialties, and licensed areas of practice.
• Relevant past experience, such as previous roles serving patients or conducting health research.

Indicate If and when content has been reviewed by experts in the topic

Clearly communicate if and when your content gets evaluated by appropriate experts:

• Note if articles have been reviewed by doctors or other health professionals to confirm accuracy and medical appropriateness.
• For articles with medical images, mention if the images were reviewed by radiologists or other qualified imaging specialists.
• If you have an expert advisory board, describe who comprises it and their process for reviewing content.

Present information in a clear, concise, and accessible manner

Organize content in a way that can be easily understood by everyday readers:

• Use clear headings and subheadings to break up long sections of text. Avoid unexplained medical jargon. Define any technical terms.
• For complex topics, summarize key takeaways at the beginning or end. Use bullet points and call-out boxes to highlight key information.
• Incorporate relevant images, diagrams, illustrations, and videos to aid comprehension. Provide descriptive alt text.

Clearly cite sources and provide references for all information

Enabling readers to verify facts is crucial for establishing trustworthiness. Get in the habit of:

• Linking directly to any studies or sources referenced.
• Compiling a reference list at the bottom of articles listing full citations for all sources.
• Only quoting health statistics and medical facts from recent, authoritative, high-quality references.

Regularly update content to reflect latest research and development

Keeping your health content current is crucial for maintaining user trust. Make a habit of:

• Putting publication dates clearly on articles and specifying when the article was refreshed.
• Having a content review schedule to update or remove outdated information that may now be inaccurate or harmful. At minimum, aim to review content annually.
• Proactively covering new medical research, clinical trials, guidelines, and standards as they emerge. Users want to feel confident your advice reflects current best practices.

Clearly communicate your website’s privacy policy

Transparently explain:

• What user data your website collects, including through cookies or form submissions. Specify what is mandatory vs optional to share.
• How user data will be used, including for website functionality, personalization, and if it will be shared with or sold to third parties.
• How you ensure user data remains private and secure. Describe safety protocols.
• Allow users the option to browse anonymously without an account. Don’t require personal information just to access basic content.

Invest in a professional and user-friendly website design

Your website’s overall design and presentation impacts trust. Make sure your health related website:

• Loads quickly and has easily navigable menus, working site search, and breadcrumb navigation.
• Displays well on mobile devices. Use a responsive design.
• Has working contact forms, email addresses, and phone numbers clearly listed.
• Prominently displays trust badges, certifications (e.g. HONcode), non-profit status, or official affiliations.
• Uses simple, readable fonts and clear organization without too many ads or popups.
• Has a professional appearance – grammar errors, broken links, many ads, and amateur or outdated design all reduce credibility.

Conclusion

Establishing trust should be the utmost priority for any brand publishing health and medical related information. 

Users need to know they can rely on your health advice and recommendations.

This article covered multiple techniques to demonstrate expertise and trustworthiness, from emphasizing qualifications to citing scientific evidence. 

However, trust is difficult to gain and easy to lose. 

Stay vigilant and regularly re-evaluate your content using Google’s Quality Raters Guidelines.

Keep in mind that authoritativeness is just one component of trust. Even authoritative sources can sometimes publish unreliable or biased information. 

Scrutinize your own content for accuracy, while representing a balanced expert consensus.

Strive to be a leader in your health niche by following best practices for transparency, expertise, and ethical content creation. 

Put the needs of users first. When in doubt, obtain a second opinion from another qualified health professional.

With the techniques discussed here, your health brand can gain users’ confidence. 

By providing reliable and honest health resources, you can establish lasting trust and authority.