Medical review and editorial policyHow we write every page on this site, who reviews it, and why you can trust it

1Why do we explain how we work?

Medical content about addiction and mental health can change real decisions: whether a family asks for help, whether a person stops a medication, or whether someone calls an ambulance in time. So we believe readers have a right to know how a page was written, who reviewed it, and which sources it relied on.

This page explains the actual steps every page in the Eradah library goes through, from planning to publication and updating, including the limits of what we know and what we deliberately do not publish.

2How is a page written and reviewed before publication?

1. 1
   Planning

   Each page answers one main question, within a site map that prevents the same topic from being repeated across several pages and defines what each page covers and what it refers to other pages.

2. 2
   Researching sources

   Information is gathered from trusted international medical sources, and every figure or non-obvious claim is verified before it is used.

3. 3
   Drafting

   The page is written according to written editorial guidelines that set out the style, the safety rules and the language. Drafting assistance tools may be used at this stage.

4. 4
   Automated check

   Every page goes through a checking program that rejects any mention of amounts or doses, flags sensitive words, and verifies the number of sources, the depth of the content, and that headings and questions are not duplicated.

5. 5
   Medical review

   A specialist physician reviews the content for accuracy, safety and suitability for Egyptian readers, and the page is not published before they approve it.

6. 6
   Publication and updating

   The reviewer’s name and the date of the last review appear on the page, and it is reviewed again periodically or whenever new information emerges.

3Which sources do we rely on?

We rely on well-known international medical and scientific sources, and we list the sources for each medical page in the “Sources and references” section at its bottom, with a minimum of two trusted sources per page:

• Figures: we do not use a figure we have not verified from a trusted source, and if we cannot find a documented figure, we describe the information in words.
• Egyptian figures: we do not invent local statistics; we cite Egyptian figures only when they come from an official body.
• Approximate information, such as how long substances stay in the body, is explicitly described as approximate and varies from one person and one laboratory to another.
• The law: legal information is a general awareness overview and not legal advice.

4What do we never publish?

Some information can do more harm than good, even if it is available elsewhere. So we follow strict safety rules, and our checking program automatically rejects any page that breaks some of them:

• No doses or amounts for any substance or medication, and no schedules for reducing or stopping medications.
• No methods of using substances, making them or obtaining them, and no “tips” for mixing them.
• No ways to avoid substances showing up in drug tests.
• No protocols for detox at home, with a warning that alcohol and sedative withdrawal can be dangerous and needs medical supervision.
• No one is told to stop or adjust a prescribed medication without their doctor.
• No diagnosis of the reader; symptom lists are for awareness and carry a notice that they are not a diagnosis.

5How do we write about suicide and self-harm?

We follow the World Health Organization’s guidance on responsible reporting of suicide: we do not mention methods or details, we do not use sensational language, and we do not describe a suicide attempt as “successful” or “failed.” We always pair any discussion of risk with hope and ways to ask for help.

That is why pages related to crises carry an emergency box with the ambulance number 123 and the mental health support line 16328 of the General Secretariat of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, along with simple steps for what can be done right away.

6Why do we care about the language we use to describe patients?

Words can increase stigma and delay seeking treatment, or reduce it and open the door to care. So we write about “a person with addiction” or “a person with schizophrenia” instead of demeaning labels, we present addiction as a treatable illness and not a moral failing, and we treat personality disorders with empathy and not demonization. These rules are consistent with NIDA’s recommendations on non-stigmatizing language.

7Do we use artificial intelligence to write content?

Yes, and we say so clearly: drafting assistance tools may be used, and all content is reviewed by humans and by a physician. These tools help organize information and write first drafts according to the written editorial guidelines, but they are not considered a source of medical information, and they do not replace verifying sources or medical review.

• Every piece of medical information must trace back to a trusted source, not to what a tool “says.”
• The automated check and the safety rules apply to all content in the same way.
• Responsibility for published content rests with the Eradah team and the reviewing physician, not with any tool.

8Who reviews the content medically, and when is it updated?

The medical content is reviewed by Dr. Mahmoud El-Sawy, Consultant Psychiatrist and Addiction Specialist and Medical Director of Eradah Center, who holds a master’s degree in neurology, psychiatry and addiction treatment from the Faculty of Medicine at Zagazig University. His name and the date of the last review appear on every medical page, and you can find his full qualifications on the Medical Team page. We review pages periodically, and immediately when new treatment guidelines are issued or an error is found.

Some pages show a short paragraph about treatment at Eradah and a form to request a consultation. We keep these parts clearly separate from the educational content, and we never change medical information to serve any marketing purpose. Learn about the center on the About Eradah page.

9How do you report an error?

These reports are only for the accuracy of the content. If you need help for yourself or someone you love, contact us directly through the contact page, and in an emergency call the ambulance on 123.