General Health Articles

The PIF TICK is the UK’s only quality mark for health information. The green tick quality mark was launched in May 2020 to replace the Information Standard, which accredited talkhealth‘s content for years.

The certification continues to gain prestige as the amount of online health information grows exponentially. To ensure you know exactly where to get trusted information, the Patient Information Forum has launched a new resource which lists more than 85 content platforms where you can find PIF Tick-certified content. 

To earn this recognition and to be included in the resource library, we have to adhere to a rigorous 10-step production process that ensures we are providing informative, accessible, representative and timely health content. All of talkhealth’s certified content has to: 

1. Uses a consistent and documented process.
2. Be written by trained and supported to produce high-quality information.
3. Meet an identified consumer need.
4. Be based on reliable, up-to-date evidence.
5. Involve patients in the development of health information.
6. Be written in plain English.
7. Be easy to use and navigate.
8. Be written in a way that people can feedback on the information.
9. Reach those who need it through promotion.
10. Be measurable for impact. 

The new PIF Tick toolkit gives you a step-by-step guide for spotting accredited content. From checking for a date to referring to other sources when citing stats and specific evidence, the patient-facing guide will ensure you have all the tools you need to root out misinformation. 

On the resource, Sue Farrington, chair of PIF, said: “We know from the recent COVID-19 crisis and the proliferation of opinion on social media platforms, often taken for fact, how disinformation can spread. So, at a time when our healthcare system is stretched, it becomes even more important that healthcare professionals can have confidence in being able to signpost trusted information.”

You can find the PIF Tick library on this website, and download a resource for spotting great health content here.