Trust in Health Science

HWF is a place for discussion of ways to improve the quality and usefulness of information for the public about science and health. The overall goal is to share strategies and best practices that might contribute to public understanding of the nature of biomedical research and its role in health.

Here at the HWF, we serve many audiences: scientists, health professionals, medical/scientific reporters and general assignment reporters, health educators, those who represent third-party payers and health systems, patients and those who care for them, and the general public.

Our health and science messages are created in many forms and include press releases and online news stories, expert interviews, printed and online information about health and disease, and an ever increasing number of messages on social media platforms.

Using these and other media we have become, and hope to continue to be, a credible source of science and health information.

We hope you will join us regularly for some suggestions about how we can improve our communications and engage our shared audiences in ways that will make them more interested, active advocates for their health and the health of their families. We’ll be highlighting some principles for writing about research that we use that might be helpful to others. We’ll also be introducing topics for discussion and providing checklists and examples designed to improve clear communication about science and health. Please check back with us in the coming weeks.

We look forward to working with the health and science writing community as part of our ongoing efforts to communicate clearly and responsibly.

These best practices apply to various stakeholders across industry, government, academia and other nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations within the field of nutrition and beyond. The best practices help to ensure transparency, objectivity, and comprehensiveness and guide the Society’s activities, as well as help ASN members and other nutrition scientists and researchers achieve the best nutrition science that maintains scientific rigor and transparency while ultimately benefiting public and individual health.