Editorial Process
How We Ensure Medical Accuracy
When you're reading about GLP-1 medications, interpreting blood test results, or learning how specific biomarkers relate to your long-term health, you need information you can trust completely. At Piko Health, we take that responsibility seriously.
What makes our approach different from most health content online is straightforward: the physicians and specialists who review our articles are experienced clinicians who treat patients every day. They're practicing doctors who see real lab results, manage real treatment plans, and understand how this information applies to the people reading it. That direct connection between clinical care and published content shapes everything we write and how we verify it.
This page explains exactly how every piece of health content at Piko Health is created, reviewed, and maintained, so you can evaluate our standards for yourself.
The Physicians and Specialists Behind Our Content
Every article published on Piko Health is medically reviewed by a member of our clinical review board, licensed, practicing clinicians with direct expertise in the topics they review. These are not advisory names on a page.
We believe this matters. When a physician who has prescribed semaglutide to hundreds of patients reviews an article about GLP-1 medications, they catch nuances that a general medical writer would miss. When a dietitian who designs nutrition protocols around real blood panel data reviews a piece on biomarkers and diet, the result is content grounded in clinical reality, not just research abstracts.
Note: You can view each reviewer's full credentials and clinical background on their individual profile pages.
How Every Article Is Created
Our editorial process involves six distinct stages. We've designed it this way because health content, particularly in rapidly evolving areas like weight management medications and longevity science, demands more than a single review pass.
1. Topic Selection
Every article begins with a clinical reason to exist. Topics are selected based on three inputs: questions our patients ask most frequently during consultations and through support chat, areas where we see widespread misinformation or confusion (GLP-1 side effects, blood test interpretation, and biological age testing are common examples), and new peer-reviewed research or updated clinical guidelines that affect how we care for patients. We don't publish content to fill a content calendar. If a topic doesn't serve a genuine patient need, we don't write it.
2. Research and Drafting
Our health writers follow strict sourcing guidelines when researching and drafting each article. Every clinical claim must be supported by peer-reviewed evidence, current clinical guidelines, or official communications from bodies like the FDA or NIH. Writers are trained to distinguish between preliminary findings and established medical consensus, and to communicate that distinction clearly to readers. The result is a draft that is thoroughly sourced but not yet clinically verified, that's what the next step is for.
3. Medical Review
Before any article is published, a board-certified physician or specialist from our clinical review board conducts a thorough medical review. This is not a cursory skim. The reviewer evaluates clinical accuracy, checks that treatment information aligns with current prescribing standards, verifies that dosage information and safety considerations are complete, and ensures that the content reflects what they would tell a patient directly. If the reviewer identifies issues, whether a missing contraindication, an outdated dosing recommendation, or a claim that overstates the evidence, the article goes back for revision.
4. Editorial Review
A separate editorial review follows the medical review. This stage focuses on clarity and accessibility: ensuring that complex medical concepts are explained in plain language, that the article is well-organized, and that medical terminology is used accurately without being unnecessarily dense. The editorial team also verifies that all sources are properly cited and that internal links to relevant Piko services or related articles are included where helpful.
5. Publication with Full Transparency
When an article goes live, it carries clear attribution. Every piece of content on Piko Health displays the name of the writer, the name and credentials of the medical reviewer, the original publication date, and the most recent review or update date. This transparency exists so you always know who created the information, who verified it, and how current it is.
6. Ongoing Monitoring and Updates
Publication is not the end of our process. Health information changes, new research is published, clinical guidelines are revised, and regulatory decisions reshape treatment options. This is especially true in the fields we cover. GLP-1 medication guidelines, for example, have evolved substantially in recent years, and blood biomarker reference ranges are regularly refined as longitudinal data improves.
We conduct systematic content audits on a regular cycle, and we actively monitor developments in weight management, metabolic health, and longevity science so that our published articles remain current. When an article is updated, the new review date is displayed prominently, and substantive changes are noted.
Our Sourcing Standards
The quality of health content is only as strong as the evidence it's built on. Our sourcing guidelines are specific and non-negotiable.
We rely on peer-reviewed research published in established medical and scientific journals, including publications like The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, JAMA, Obesity Reviews, Nature Aging, and The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. We reference clinical practice guidelines issued by recognized medical bodies such as the American Medical Association, the American Heart Association, the Endocrine Society, and the American Board of Obesity Medicine. We use official regulatory communications from the FDA, particularly regarding drug approvals, safety updates, and prescribing information for medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide. And we draw on data and educational resources from established health institutions including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the Mayo Clinic.
We do not cite anecdotal evidence, non-peer-reviewed claims, social media commentary, or manufacturer-sponsored studies unless independent research corroborates the findings. We prefer research published within the last five years to ensure relevance, though we reference landmark studies regardless of publication date when they remain foundational to the topic.
Every source we reference is listed at the bottom of the article with a direct link where available, so you can review the original research yourself.
Updates, Corrections, and Accountability
Medicine evolves, and our content must evolve with it. We take a proactive approach to keeping our articles accurate over time.
Our editorial team conducts regular content audits, with priority given to topics in rapidly developing areas, including GLP-1 medications, weight loss treatment protocols, and longevity biomarker science. When new evidence changes clinical best practice or when regulatory updates affect treatment information, we update the relevant articles promptly and display the new review date clearly.
If we make a factual error, we correct it transparently. Corrections are noted visibly within the article, not silently edited. We believe accountability requires visibility.
We also welcome reader input. If you notice something in our content that appears inaccurate, outdated, or unclear, we want to hear from you. Contact our editorial team directly at support@pikohealth.com, and we will review your concern and respond.
Our Promise to You
Health content online ranges from excellent to dangerously misleading, and when you're making decisions about weight loss treatment, interpreting lab results, or considering a longevity protocol, you deserve the best.
Our commitment is simple: every article you read on Piko Health has been researched against peer-reviewed evidence, reviewed by a board-certified clinician who actively treats patients, and maintained through an ongoing process of monitoring and updates. The same doctors who check our content are also the ones who care for the readers. That connection isn't a marketing line, it's the structural foundation of how we work.
If you're exploring what Piko Health can do for you, we'd encourage you to start with our content and see our standards in practice. And if you ever have questions about the evidence behind something you've read here, reach out. We're always happy to share the research.
