About This Blog

Dr. Lei from the Genetics and Public Health Blog asked us to tell our readers a bit more about this blog. The following are answers to the U.S. National Institutes of Health list of 10 Things to Know about Evaluating Medical Resources on the Web.

1. Who runs this site?

What's New In Health is written by a board-certified family physician in group practice in California. I am a graduate of the UCLA School of Medicine, have a full-time medical practice, and am involved in medical education with both residents and medical students. I have written and published numerous academic medical papers and will have my third textbook published in September. I currently serve as a consultant for several large corporations and have been the recipient of several teaching awards. At present, I am the only writer for this blog.

2. Who pays for the site?

Thus far, this blog is wholly supported by me on my free time. A few dimes come in here and there from the ads on the site, but this does not cover the expenses involved with running this site. Although some of the articles written have information about pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, or medical equipment manufacturers, none of the information here at What's New In Health is bought or sold. The information is presented solely for the public's benefit.

3. What is the purpose of the site?

There are countless sources of medical information available on the web, and countless more sources of medical and health news. Some of these sources are legitimate and credible, while many others are not. Furthermore, many of the articles found on the web are written by individuals with no background in the medical or health sciences. The goal of this blog is to provide credible health news and information written by a physician who has a solid understanding of the topics being presented.

4. Where does the information come from?

The information on this blog comes from dozens of sources. I review Yahoo Health News and Google Health News daily to see what new information is being presented to the public. I also subscribe to dozens of electronic and paper journals, which I review for interesting content (and to keep myself up-to-date). I also gather information from medical texts, other medical journals, and subscription services to create a well-written article that provides more information than the standard news services.

5. What is the basis of the information?

The source material comes from medical texts, medical journals, and online subscription services. I only take information from legitimate sources such as peer-reviewed articles or well-written texts. At any time, I would be happy to provide citations for my source material upon request.

6. How is the information selected?

The topics to be discussed are selected based upon what is currently appearing in the health news, issues that I think readers might find interesting, and requests from our readers. I then research the topic as needed in the same manner that I would in writing a medical journal article. There is no one to review my writing, however, so I am always open to feedback from my readers if there are any issues regarding accuracy or even new information that has become available.

7. How current is the information?

Topics are selected and reviewed on a daily basis. My articles are written as quickly as I can while still maintaining quality and accuracy. The most exciting topics in the news are usually current to within 24 hours. However, some topics may not be time-sensitive, in which case the information is up-to-date, but may not be late-breaking news.

8. How does the site choose links to other sites.

What's New In Health does not link to any site that asks or pays for a link. I provide links to sites that I believe offer quality content with relevant information for my readers. I am open to suggestions regarding links to other sites, but ultimately I will choose which sites to link.

The advertisements that appear on the site are generated randomly. I do not have any influence over the particular ads, except that I do not permit ads for things such as gambling and adult content. The Amazon.com ads have books that I personally recommend. If you do not find these recommendations to be high-quality books, please let me know.

9. What information about you does the site collect, and why?

What's New In Health never sells or rents your information to anyone. If you use the bloglet service to have our updates emailed to you, that is the only purpose that your email is used for. You may discontinue the service at any time.

10. How does the site manage interactions with visitors?

I am open and eager to receive comments from my readers. I will gladly accept your opinions, musings, or recommendations for future articles. You may post your comments publicly on the blog, or you may email them to me privately at WhatsNewInHealth@gmail.com.


I hope that the answers to these questions help you in your quest to find accurate, high-quality, and timely health information. Thank you for your readership. You are the reason that I am spending time writing these articles.