June 27, 2008 (CHARLESTON, SC) – After the creation and launch of a new Web site, the  National Association For Continence (NAFC) is accredited with being compliant with HON code, a set of principles defined by a non-governmental organization, Health On the Net (HON) Foundation, which were established to improve the quality of information intended to both patients and medical professionals for facilitating quick access to the most relevant and up-to-date medical discoveries.¹”

The HON Foundation is known across borders as the most widely accepted resource for online health and medical publishers, specifically for its health information code of ethical conduct, HON Code. Each day, 27,000 visitors worldwide visit its own Web site, www.healthonnet.org.

Compliance with HON Code requires medical and health information Web sites to include the following criteria or certification will not be given:

1. Authoritative - Indicate the qualifications of the authors complete version
2. Complementarity - Information should support, not replace, the doctor-patient relationship
3. Privacy - Respect the privacy and confidentiality of personal data submitted to the site by the visitor
4. Attribution - Cite the source(s) of published information, date and medical and health pages
5. Justifiability - Site must back up claims relating to benefits and performance
6. Transparency - Accessible presentation, accurate email contact
7. Financial disclosure - Identify funding sources
8. Advertising policy - Clearly distinguish advertising from editorial content

Visitors, including consumers and healthcare providers, can search for and rely on bladder and bowel health information provided by NAFC with confidence now more than ever by logging onto the Internet. Topics such as urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, pelvic organ prolapse, fecal incontinence, enlarged prostate, post-prostatectomy incontinence, and related pelvic floor disorders are available to the public. Additionally, health professionals will benefit by the materials that can be ordered in bulk online for use at medical institutions around the globe. Currently printed educational materials are available in English and Spanish. Call NAFC at 1.800.BLADDER or visit the Web site, www.nafc.org to learn more.

Visit www.healthonnet.org to learn more about the framework in which the HON Foundation examines healthcare information, so it can be trusted by the public, who are simply seeking knowledge, and for healthcare providers who need assistance or tools to help communicate with their patients.

About the National Association For Continence (NAFC)
The National Association For Continence is a 501(c)3 corporation whose mission is threefold:  1) to educate the public about the causes, diagnosis categories, treatment options, and management alternatives for incontinence, voiding dysfunction, nocturnal enuresis, and related pelvic floor disorders; 2) to network with other organizations and agencies to elevate the visibility and priority given to these areas; and 3) to advocate on behalf of consumers who suffer from such symptoms as a result of disease or other illness, obstetrical, surgical or other trauma, or deterioration due to the aging process itself. NAFC is broadly funded by consumers, healthcare professionals and industry. It is the world’s largest and most prolific consumer advocacy organization devoted exclusively to this field. Visit www.nafc.org to learn more.

¹ http://www.hon.ch/visitor.html 

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