OrderMyOwnLabs
Editorial Standards
A useful guide must be accurate and easy to understand.
Start with evidence
Use reliable medical sources for medical claims. Use the provider’s own current records for prices, test contents, and ordering rules. Check that each source supports the actual claim.
Show price limits clearly
Every price display must include or link clearly to the approved Pricing Disclaimer on the Costs & Ordering page. Record the source, exact product, and check date. A supplied promotional sheet is not a verified checkout quote. The testing provider’s final checkout price is authoritative.
Research deeply. Explain simply.
Every significant medical claim must be traceable to an appropriate source. This applies to full guides, short directory descriptions, expanded cards, comparisons, FAQs, preparation instructions, category introductions, and future tools. A source link alone is not proof that the source supports the statement.
Choose evidence that fits the question
Start with NIH, MedlinePlus, NIDDK, CDC, FDA, relevant professional guidelines, and high-quality medical research. Use PubMed, PubMed Central, Cochrane, and other credible scientific databases when deeper investigation is needed. ClinicalTrials.gov can describe trials; a registered or unfinished trial does not establish benefit. Do not rely only on affiliate-provider marketing for medical facts.
Check what a test measures, its clinical uses, what it cannot establish, confounding factors, preparation, similar test names, and important follow-up questions. Check whether newer evidence changes earlier guidance. Separate established consensus from preliminary findings, observational associations, and individual studies. Not all PubMed-indexed publications are equally reliable. Consider study design, population, bias, consistency, certainty, and relevance.
Make verification visible
Every complete guide must have a clearly labeled References section with direct links to the specific supporting pages or papers. Cite important claims near the explanation. Include PubMed links, DOI, publication date and study details when useful. Record the actual editorial verification date and the scope of source access. Never invent citations or claim to have reviewed inaccessible full text.
Keep medical evidence separate from purchasing facts
Use current, provider-specific documentation for exact components, methodology, specimen requirements, preparation, prices, promotions, fees, restrictions and ordering policies. A similarly named test at another laboratory is not proof of this order’s contents. Record the product and check date. Do not use Grateful Lab Services professional-account prices for consumer comparisons. Do not let affiliate fees influence medical explanations or imply that buying a test is necessary.
Before release
Verify important claims against the actual cited sources. Check preparation, limitations, references, plain language, medical and affiliate disclosures, links, and outdated or unsupported information. Resolve material uncertainty or leave the unsupported claim out. Seek qualified specialist input for a specific unresolved clinical question when needed. Do not invent review credentials or describe content as physician-reviewed, clinically approved, or certified without a real documented review. Editorial verification does not authorize publication; separate owner launch authorization is required.
Write in plain English
Every article must aim for about an eighth-grade reading level. Answer the main question early. Use short sentences and paragraphs. Explain needed medical terms. Keep the science accurate.
A readability score is a guide, not proof that an article is clear. A final review must check whether a reader can follow the main explanation.
Use a proportionate editorial review
- Check the factual explanations against reliable medical sources. Resolve material uncertainty before release.
- Check plain language, limitations, sources, related links, and the standard medical disclaimer.
- Where commercial links are proposed, verify the exact provider details and place a clear affiliate disclosure near qualifying links.
Use specialist input when a specific unresolved medical question needs it. We do not claim clinician review or medical credentials unless they are real and documented. A disclaimer does not replace accurate information.
Every educational article must include the approved Medical Disclaimer near the bottom. The owner separately authorizes publication.
Show a useful difference
A clear explanation can improve on a correct but hard-to-read article. More words alone do not make a better answer. We must show what the reader gains.
Make honest updates
Use review dates only when the work was actually reviewed. Keep a record of sources and changes. Correct material errors and check related articles.
Keep publication separate
A completed review does not authorize public release. The owner must approve launch batches. The article launch remains subject to owner approval.