View source for Wiki143:Manual of Style/Medicine-related articles

{{Short description|Wikipedia style guideline}}{{Use British English|date=December 2024}}
{{For|advice on choosing and using reliable sources|Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources (medicine)}}
{{MoS-guideline|sortkey=Medicine|WP:MEDMOS|WP:MOSMED|MOS:MED}}
{{nutshell|
* Article titles use the scientific or medical name.
* Write for the average reader and a general audience—not professionals or patients.
* Explain medical [[jargon]] or use [[plain English]] instead if possible.
* Become familiar with the common sections, info boxes and citation templates.
* Use the highest-quality medical sources available.
* Avoid trivia sections and [[WP:LINKFARM|external link farms]].}}
{{Wikipedia:MEDRS/Navigation}}
{{style}}

This is the style guide for editing medical articles. The general rules from the [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style]] also apply when writing medical articles.
{{TOC limit|3}}

==Article titles==
{{Shortcut|WP:NCMED|WP:MEDTITLE}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Article titles}}

The article title should be the '''scientific or recognised medical name''' that is most commonly used in recent, high-quality, English-language medical sources, rather than a lay term (unscientific or slang name)<ref name="namingissue">This convention was documented at the now-defunct WikiProject Clinical medicine,[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:WikiProject_Clinical_medicine&oldid=172855825#The_naming_issue] and was the result of several discussions in 2004.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Naming_conventions_(common_names)/Archive_01#Naming_conventions_for_medicine] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Naming_conventions/Archive_4#Medicine] [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Village_pump_archive_2004-09-26&oldid=3620313#The_names_of_diseases:_policy]</ref> or an historical [[eponym]] that has been superseded.<ref>Arguments for and against eponyms, plus background information, can be read at the [[List of eponymously named diseases]].</ref> The alternative names may be specified in the lead.<ref>These lists can evolve into bloated [[WP:LAUNDRYLIST|laundry lists]] by spammers; encyclopaedic, sourced content such as "many generic brand names exist" is preferred.</ref> Create [[Wikipedia:Redirect|redirects]] to the article to help those searching with alternative names. For example, [[heart attack]] redirects to [[myocardial infarction]]. Please also add alternative names to the [[:d:|Wikidata]] entry (just fill in the blank labelled "Also known as" at the top of the Wikidata page about the subject). For more information, please see the [https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Medicine/Data_models/Trials Trials Data Model].

The article title is subject to the same [[Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources|sourcing]] standards as the article content. Where there is a dispute over a name, editors should cite [[Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources (medicine)#Medical and scientific organizations|recognised authorities and organisations]] rather than conduct [[Wikipedia:No original research|original research]].<ref name=NameOR>Examples of original research include counting Google or PubMed results, comparing the size or relevance of the varieties of English, and quoting from personal or professional experience.</ref>

Where there are lexical differences between the varieties of English, an international standard may be helpful, though [[MOS:ENGVAR|Wikipedia generally discourages changing existing article usage]]. Some terminology is in flux and recently proposed names may not yet be widespread in adoption. Some examples of international standards include:
* '''Diseases'''—The [[World Health Organization]], [[International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems]] (ICD-11) or the ''[[Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders]]'' (DSM-5).
* '''Drugs'''—The [[international nonproprietary name]] (INN). Most [[Biopharmaceutical|biologics]], including [[vaccine]]s, do not have INN or other generic names, so the brand name is used instead. Nonproprietary names are common nouns and hence should be lower case except in titles, the beginning of sentences, and in other situations that require capitalization.<ref>{{cite book | author = CBE Style Manual Committee | title = Scientific Style and Format: the CBE Manual for Authors, Editors and Publishers | date = 2002 | publisher=Cambridge Univ. Press | location = Cambridge | isbn = 978-0-521-47154-1 | pages = 324 | edition = 6th | chapter = Chaper 19: Drugs and Pharmacokinetics | chapter-url =https://books.google.com/books?id=PoFJ-OhE63UC&q=nonproprietary+name+capitalization&pg=PA324}}</ref> In contrast, trade names are proper nouns and should always be capitalised.
* '''Anatomy'''—Most articles on human anatomy use the international standard ''[[Terminologia Anatomica]]'' (''TA'') as a basis for the English title of an article.  Editor judgment is needed for terms used where there is a very clearly used [[WP:COMMONNAME|common name]], in non-human anatomy, and in other problematic areas. The complete, current [http://ifaa.unifr.ch/Public/EntryPage/TA98%20Tree/Alpha/All%20KWIC%20EN.htm list of TA terms is online] (large page). The word ''human'' is usually omitted in titles, but it may occasionally be helpful if non-human references to the structure are common. For example, compare the articles at [[Leg]] (including insect legs, robotic legs, etc.) and [[Human leg]]. However, if the article is about humans and the reader will expect to find information about humans under that title, e.g., [[Arm]] and [[Pregnancy]], then pre-disambiguation of the title is inappropriate.

===Titles requiring disambiguation===
{{see also|Wikipedia:Disambiguation}}

When one single term is used to describe two different topics, article titles must be [[Wikipedia:Disambiguation|disambiguated]] to resolve naming conflicts. To accomplish this, disambiguating words are used in parentheses after the article titles. When disambiguating a medicine- or anatomy-related article from an article about a totally different topic, the appropriate disambiguating words are "medicine" or "anatomy", respectively.

For example, "nail" may refer to several items, including a fingernail or a pin-shaped metal object used in construction.  In this case, the appropriate article titles are [[Nail (anatomy)]] for the fingernail, and [[Nail (fastener)]] for the piece of hardware.  Because neither of these articles can be considered a primary topic for the term, [[Nail]] is a disambiguation page that lists both articles.

When the medical or anatomical context is the primary use of the term, the article should not use a disambiguation word. For instance, the primary and most common use of the word "foot" is for the body part at the end of the leg. Thus, [[Foot]] is the appropriate title of the article; while [[Foot (unit)]] is an article about the unit of measurement called foot.  Use of "anatomy" is not appropriate.

In cases when a medical- or anatomy-related term is a secondary use for a more common usage, only the medical (or anatomical) article requires a disambiguation.  Most commonly, "percussion" is used to describe an instrument that makes sound when struck, so [[Percussion]] links directly to the article about the instrument; the medical usage of the term is located at [[Percussion (medicine)]].

When there are two or more distinct uses for the same term within medicine or anatomy, using the disambiguation word "medicine" or "anatomy" will not be sufficient for distinction between topics.  In this situation, the general medical specialty (for medicine) or specific body part (for anatomy) should be used.  For example, "foramen ovale" may refer to either the structure of the skull or the heart.  Therefore, the appropriate article names are [[Foramen ovale (skull)]] and [[Foramen ovale (heart)]], respectively.  Since neither anatomical structure is a primary topic for the term, [[Foramen ovale]] is a disambiguation page.

==Common pitfalls==
===Writing for the wrong audience===
{{shortcut|WP:WFTWA}}
{{anchor|Audience}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Make technical articles understandable|Wikipedia:Explain jargon}}

Wikipedia is written for the general reader. It is an encyclopaedia, not a comprehensive medical or pharmaceutical resource, nor a first-aid or how-to manual. Although healthcare professionals and patients may find much of interest, these two groups do not by themselves represent the target audience.

;Signs of writing or editing for (other) healthcare professionals:
* You give technical advice, particularly for the steps in a thorough diagnostic workup.
* You use jargon when there are suitable plain English words (for example, consider using "kidney" rather than "renal").
* You use the word "patients" or "cases" when describing those who have a medical condition (see [[#Careful language|below]]).
* You overstate controllable risks in the hope that your patients will be more compliant with your directions.
* You make sure that readers know that your process or product is patented.
* You list every unusual manifestation ever reported, because it might help someone correctly diagnose an atypical case.
* You use a writing style appropriate only for graduate-level courses, because that's what you see in peer-reviewed journal articles and professional reference works.

;Signs of writing or editing for (other) patients or their caregivers:
* You use the word "you" when describing those who have a medical condition.
* You give advice, particularly when medical help should be sought or is required.
* You are tempted to lift text from a patient information leaflet or website.
* You mention treatments or practices that you've read about in a newspaper or from personal experience.
* You add "helpful" external links, such as forums, self-help groups and local charities.
* You emphasise or de-emphasise verifiable facts so that readers will make the "right" choice in the real world.
* You play down information that might discourage patients (for example, that a disease is typically fatal), or you give undue attention to individual success stories.
* You use a writing style appropriate for 12-year-olds, because the sixth grade [[reading level]] is recommended for patient information leaflets.
* You add information that is specific to one country, e.g., drug-licensing and health-service provisions. Instead, you should maintain an international perspective, e.g., by seeking out sources about non-[[English-speaking world|English-speaking countries]], or using examples from a variety of countries.

A guide for journalists, published by the [https://rtcil.org/ RTCIL] at the [[University of Kansas]], on how to translate the writings of researchers into something understandable to the general public is available [https://web.archive.org/web/20090305224723/https://rtcil.org/products/RTCIL%20publications/Media/How-To%20Guide%20-%20Condensing%20and%20Translating.pdf here].

===Trivia===
{{see also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Trivia sections}}

Avoid lists of trivia; anything worth including should be integrated into the main body text.  The '''History''' and '''Popular culture''' sections may be appropriate places for some facts.  See [[#Media portrayal]] for popular culture. 

Articles with sections on '''Research directions''' should be sourced to reviews and should describe ''research directions'', rather than discussing specific studies and their results. Sections with simply a "Research" header have a risk of developing into miscellaneous and unorganised dumps of random studies, often with [[Wikipedia:MEDSAY|over-emphasis on the names of the people]] who conducted the studies, their research institutions etc. Wikipedia is [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information|not a place to gather random studies]], nor is it a place to write a review from scratch, as this is [[Wikipedia:No original research|original research]]. Articles about health and medicine should generally not cite primary sources, more details about which can be found at [[WP:MEDRS]]. Readers generally want to understand research directions in any case. See {{section link|Alzheimer's disease#Research directions}} for an example.

=== Careful language ===
{{Shortcut|MOS:MEDLANG|WP:MEDLANG}}
Medical usage of common terms often differs from that of the general public. This pitfall is particularly common with medical terms that are used in legal contexts, with related but significantly different meanings. (See the [[Wikipedia:Jargon#Technical language|Manual of Style]].) In addition, note that:
* '''Technical terms'''
** ''Approved'' and ''indicated'' mean different things and should not be used interchangeably. [[Indication (medicine)|Indications]] refer to common medical uses for a drug. [[Approved drug|Approval]] is a regulatory issue, which varies from country to country. [[Off-label use|Off-label]] refers to the use of a drug for a purpose for which it is not approved.
** Sometimes positive and negative [[medical test]] results can have, respectively, negative and positive implications for the person being tested. For example, a negative breast cancer-screening test is very positive for the person being screened.
** The term ''significant'' can refer to either [[statistical significance]] or [[clinical significance]]. Statistical significance means that the results would be unlikely under pure chance. Clinical significance means that the results are large enough to be noticed by the patient and will make a difference in the effect of the disease or condition on the patient. For example, a reduction of one ounce of body weight may be statistically significant in a large population but has no clinical significance for the individual. Linking to [[statistical significance]] may be useful.
** Do not confuse patient-group [[prevalence]] figures with those for the whole population that have a certain condition. For example: "One third of XYZ patients" is not always the same as "One third of people with XYZ", since many people with XYZ may not be seeking medical care.
** Correctly identify what your source discusses, without generalizing or interpreting it to related ideas. If the source talks about the effect of a single chemical purified from a plant (e.g., aspirin from [[white willow]] bark), do not misrepresent the work as referring to the whole plant from which it was derived.  Similarly, if the source talks about effects in cultured cells or non-human animals, do not misrepresent the work as demonstrating anything about humans.
** Avoid using the potentially ambiguous term ''[[Doctor (title)|doctor]]'' to refer specifically to ''[[physician]]s'' or ''[[surgeon]]s''.  Avoid using ''doctor'' or ''physician'' in ways that incorrectly exclude other licensed [[Health care provider|healthcare professionals]], such as [[nurse]]s, [[physician assistant]]s, and [[midwives]].
** ''Allopathy'' is potentially confusing to readers in different cultures, as it could refer to traditional [[wikt:enantiopathic|enantiopathic]] preparations or to mainstream modern medicine, depending on context.  Avoid using ''allopathic'' to describe modern Western medicine; instead use ''conventional medicine'' or ''mainstream medicine''.  Not all mainstream medicine is actually [[evidence-based medicine]], and not all [[alternative medicine]] is [[traditional medicine]].  See [[Wikipedia:Alternative medicine]] for help with terminology.
* '''Neutral labels'''{{shortcut|WP:SUFFER}}
** Choose appropriate words when describing medical conditions and their effects on people.  Words like ''disease'', ''disorder'', or ''affliction'' are not always appropriate. Independently observed [[medical signs]] are not self-reported [[symptoms]]. Avoid saying that people "suffer" from or are "victims" of a chronic illness or symptom, which may imply helplessness:  identifiers like ''survivor'', ''affected person'' or ''individual with'' are alternative wordings.
** The phrase ''psychologically [[addictive]]'' has so many conflicting definitions that it is essentially meaningless. Replace the term with something specific. If you want to convey that a drug does not cause tolerance, or that its withdrawal syndrome is not life-threatening, then state that.
** The term ''drug abuse'' is vague and judgmental. In a medical context, it generally refers to recreational use that carries serious risk of physical harm or addiction. However, others use it to refer to any illegal drug use. The best accepted term for non-medical use is ''recreational use''.
** Many patient groups, particularly those that have been stigmatised, prefer [[person-first terminology]]—arguing, for example, that seizures are epileptic, people are not. An example of person-first terminology would be ''people with epilepsy'' instead of ''epileptics''. In contrast, not all medical conditions are viewed as being entirely disadvantageous by those who have them. Some groups view their condition as part of their identity and prefer [[identity-first language]] (for example, many [[autistic]] or [[Deaf Culture|culturally Deaf]] people) and reject person-first terminology. For more information, see:
***[https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language/disability American Psychological Association: Style Guide: Disability]. A guide for medical professionals.
***[https://ncdj.org/style-guide/ National Center on Disability and Journalism: Disability Language Style Guide]. A guide for journalists writing about people with disabilities.
***[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Disability/Style advice]] - an essay on style by editors involved in [[WP:WikiProject Disability]].

==== Suicide and self-harm ====
{{shortcut|MOS:SUICIDE}}
{{Redirect|MOS:SUICIDE|guidance on responding threats of suicide, or harm to yourself or others|WP:SUICIDE}}
Suicide and self-harm should be written about in an [[Wikipedia:Encyclopedic tone|encyclopaedic tone]], without [[Wikipedia:Balancing aspects|undue emphasis]].

* Detailed descriptions of suicidal actions, comments about how people reacted to a death, and other emotional content are forms of [[sensationalism]] and are not appropriate for encyclopaedia articles. If you are uncertain whether a detail would belong in a well-written encyclopaedic summary of the subject, then err on the side of omitting it.
* Suicide and self-harm are complex behaviours with multi-factorial causes. Do not oversimplify the causes of suicide. Omit information about suicide notes and simplistic speculation on causes. Some errors include:
** assuming that all people who attempt suicide have a mental illness;
** assuming that people who attempt suicide actually want to be dead (e.g., vs. wanting to avoid a current or feared problem);
** ascribing motivations to actions, such as saying that self-harming behaviours are "a cry for help" or to "send a message"; and
** presenting suicide or self-harm as a "solution" to any problem. This is [[wikt:romanticize|romanticizing]] and unencyclopaedic, as well as extremely dangerous.
* [[wikipedia:NOTHOWTO|Wikipedia is not a how-to manual]]. Well-written encyclopaedia articles do not provide step-by-step instructions for anything, including suicide and self-harm behaviours.
* Language choices sometimes carry connotations that are not obvious to every editor. A term or phrase that sounds normal to you might sound stigmatising, offensive, or biased to someone else. Here are some common tips, but if someone suggests a change, try to learn about their viewpoint and see if a better approach can be found.
** Do not describe suicide or other self-harm actions as being ''successful'', ''unsuccessful'', or ''failed''. This is unclear and judgmental.
** All deaths should be reported with equal brevity and clarity. For example, if you would have written {{Tq|"He died as a result of cancer"}} for a cancer death under reasonably similar circumstances, then write {{Tq|"He died as a result of suicide"}} for a suicide death. 
** The phrase ''committed suicide'' is not banned on the English Wikipedia,<ref>See [[Wikipedia:Village pump (policy)/Archive 164#RFC: "Committed suicide" language|this RfC]] from January 2021 on the subject.</ref> although "style manuals have come to avoid ''commit suicide'', which is now considered insensitive because" of its association with crime or sin.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Garner |first1=Bryan A. |title=Garner's modern English usage |date=2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, NY |isbn=9780197599051 |edition=Fifth |url=https://www-oxfordreference-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/display/10.1093/acref/9780197599020.001.0001/acref-9780197599020-e-8609?rskey=rQZv5Q&result=1 |access-date=6 April 2025 |quote=Since about 2000, style manuals have come to avoid commit suicide, which is now considered insensitive because of its whiff of criminality. The trend is to prefer die by suicide, kill oneself, or take one’s own life.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Matthews |first1=Thea |title=Spade and Bourdain’s suicides spark discussion on reporting mental illness responsibly |url=https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/spade-and-bourdain-s-suicides-spark-discussion-on-reporting-mental-illness-responsibly/s2/a723533/ |website=journalism.co.uk |access-date=23 May 2025 |date=19 June 2018 |quote=Others disagreed with the use of the phrase 'committed suicide', suggesting that the term 'commit' implies a criminal act.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Preventing Suicide: a Resource for Media Professionals, 2023 Update |publisher=World Health Organization |isbn=978-92-4-007684-6 |url=https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240076846 |access-date=23 May 2025 |quote=The phrase 'committed suicide' implies criminality (suicide was historically criminalized in many countries and remains a criminal offence in some countries today) and unnecessarily increases the stigma experienced by those who have lost a person to suicide. [...] A more recent study has shown that the sensationalist reporting on the suicide of famous actor and comedian Robin Williams was associated with a 10% increase in suicides (an excess of 1841 suicides) in the USA from August to December 2014. Also, after media reporting on the suicides of famous fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain in June 2018, 418 more suicides than expected occurred in the subsequent two months in the USA.}}</ref> There are many other appropriate, common, and encyclopaedic ways to describe a suicide, including: 
*** ''died as a result of suicide''
*** ''died by suicide''
*** ''died from suicide''
*** ''killed himself''<!-- Style guidelines are [[WP:NOTPART]] of the encyclopedia and do not need to be gender neutral.  This example uses "himself" because most suicide deaths are cisgender males. -->
*** ''The cause of death was suicide.''
** Avoid metaphorical and euphemistic language like ''lost her battle with depression''.
** There are real-world disputes about some terms (e.g., [[medical aid in dying]]). The choice of terms may carry bias (e.g., by de-emphasizing a connection to suicide or [[Medicalization|medicalizing]] an action).

===Copyright violations===
{{shortcut|WP:MEDCOPY}}
Medicine-related articles must adhere strictly to [[Wikipedia:Copyrights|Wikipedia's copyright policies]]. Whether something is copyrighted is not always apparent.  For example, the official descriptions of mental disorders in the ''[[Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders]]'' are copyrighted, as are most [[questionnaire]]s used for [[medical screening]] purposes.

==Writing style==
The overall writing style of an article should reflect Wikipedia's nature as an encyclopaedia.

===General tone===
{{shortcut|WP:MEDTONE}}
* Do not address the reader directly.  Ensure that your writing does not appear to [[Wikipedia:Medical disclaimer|offer medical advice]]. However, [[Wikipedia:No disclaimers in articles|a disclaimer to this effect is never required]]<ref>[[Wikipedia:Templates for deletion/Log/Deleted/April 2005#Template:Medical|Templates for deletion: Medical]]</ref> since the [[Wikipedia:General disclaimer|general disclaimer]] can be accessed from any page on Wikipedia. Statements using the word ''should'' frequently provide inappropriate advice (e.g., "People with this symptom should seek medical care") instead of plain statements of facts. 
* [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Linking#Principles|Rely on wikilinks]] to help articles stay focused and to avoid placing [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view#Due and undue weight|undue weight]] on peripheral details. For example, when writing about a blood test, don't include the normal venipuncture procedures or the type of [[Vacutainer]] generally used. Instead, [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Linking|link]] to the normal procedures but provide any important and unusual information in the article you are working on.

===Wikipedia is not a medical primary resource===
* Wikipedia articles are not textbooks.
** Most [[mnemonic]]s and [[rules of thumb]] are not informative of the subject matter relevant to an encyclopaedia. They are a form of memorable poetry, to aid medical students in recalling voluminous facts and procedures, and to pass examinations. They also risk non-neutrality when they winsomely express a point-of-view, reduce a complex subject to a simplified rote, or suggest an unverifiable authority.  Just give the plain information, without the artificial and distracting adornment of memory aids.
* Wikipedia is [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|not a procedural manual]]. Don't give "how-to" instructions. For example, when  writing about a specific surgery, don't list all the equipment that will be needed or give advice on how to hold, store, use or clean it. Instead describe the guidelines and procedures in a reader-neutral manner, perhaps by using [[passive voice]].
* Wikipedia is [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|not a collection of case studies]], and [[:Template:Example farm|excessive examples]] should be avoided.
** Collections of case studies may be [[m:Help:Transwiki|transwikied]] to [[Wikibooks]] or to [[Wikiversity]].

===Cite sources, don't describe them===
{{shortcut|WP:MEDSAY}}
Sources should be used to make verifiable statements, but the sources themselves should not normally be discussed in an article.

* Do not provide a detailed analysis of an individual study unless the analysis itself is taken from a published reliable source. Wikipedia should concisely state facts about a subject. It should not discuss the underlying literature at any length.  Generally speaking, the facts will be found in the conclusions or results section of a study, not in the detailed methodology.  Articles that rely on [[Wikipedia:No original research#Primary, secondary and tertiary sources|secondary sources]] are less likely to fall into the trap of discussing the size of a single study, its methodology, its biases, and so forth. Thus, you should write {{xt|"washing hands after defecating reduces the incidence of diarrhoea in the wilderness"}}, not {{!xt|"An uncontrolled survey involving 132 experienced long-distance backpackers on the Appalachian trail in 1997 concluded that washing hands after defecating reduces the incidence of diarrhoea in the wilderness."}}
* Do not hype a study by listing the names, credentials, institutions, or other "qualifications" of their authors. The text of the article should not needlessly duplicate the names, dates, titles, and other information about the source that you list in the citation.  Always [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Biography#Academic titles and degrees|omit professional titles and academic degrees]]: use {{xt|"Smith"}} or {{xt|"Jones"}} rather than {{!xt|"Dr Smith"}} or {{!xt|"Prof Jones"}}.  It is necessary to specifically include such information only when a specific individual is being cited as an example of a person holding a minority view:  You might write, {{xt|"The AIDS Denialist Society says that HIV is entirely harmless"}}, but just use a plain statement for the widely accepted fact, {{xt|"HIV causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome."}}
* Do not [[Wikipedia:No original research|publish your own views]] about studies.

===Technical terminology===
Good encyclopaedic writing will naturally teach the reader new words and help them build confidence with harder ones. While this can be done explicitly, with definitions in parentheses for example, the most natural way to achieve this is to use the idiomatic words, the "proper" words for something, in context. Good writing will allow the reader to pick up enough of the meaning from this context.<ref>[https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2019/07/readability-formulas-7-reasons-to-avoid-them-and-what-to-do-instead.php Readability Formulas: 7 Reasons to Avoid Them and What to Do Instead]</ref>

When faced with an advanced technical word or medical [[MOS:JARGON|jargon]], consider whether the reader needs to know it to understand ''this'' article you are writing. Is it used repeatedly later? Is it a term a doctor will have to use with their patient when talking about this subject, or just something only doctors would say or write among themselves? When mentioning technical terms for the first time, also provide a short plain-English explanation if possible. If the concept is too elaborate for this, wikilink to other articles (or [[Wiktionary]] entries). If the technical word is necessary, but not used again in the article, it may be appropriate to use plain English instead and place the technical term within parentheses.

For terms related to anatomical position, you can link to [[Anatomical terms of location]], e.g. <code><nowiki>[[Anatomical terms of location|lateral]]</nowiki></code>. 

Use the [[International Nonproprietary Name|nonproprietary name]] when referring to a [[Pharmaceutical drug|drug]] in medical articles. Wikilinked instances of the name may be followed by the proprietary name in parentheses: "[[trastuzumab]] (Herceptin)".

==Infoboxes==
{{Main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Infoboxes}}
Infoboxes should be used where appropriate. These include
* {{Tlx|Infobox drug}}&nbsp;– for example, [[Paracetamol]]
* {{Tlx|Infobox medical condition}}&nbsp;– for example, [[Down syndrome]] (also includes symptoms)
* {{Tlx|Infobox medical intervention}}&nbsp;– for example, [[Cardiopulmonary resuscitation]]
* {{Tlx|Infobox protein}}
* {{Tlx|Infobox brain}}&nbsp;– for brain regions such as [[Broca's area]]
* {{Tlx|Infobox anatomy}}&nbsp;– for general anatomic structures, with more specific infoboxes (e.g. {{tl|Infobox bone}}) for particular types of structure.

Full instructions are available on the page for each infobox. A suitable picture for the infobox is encouraged. For drugs, the 2D [[structural formula|structure]] in [[Scalable Vector Graphics|SVG]] format is preferred, but [[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]] is acceptable. The easiest way to populate the drugbox and protein templates is to use [[User:Diberri|Diberri's]] template-filling web site. Search [http://redpoll.pharmacy.ualberta.ca/drugbank/ DrugBank] for the drug and enter the ID<ref>DrugBank IDs follow the format <code>APRDxxxxx</code>, and may be found in the page's URL.</ref> in [http://diberri.crabdance.com/cgi-bin/templatefiller/index.cgi?ddb=&type=drugbank_id this page], or search [http://www.gene.ucl.ac.uk/nomenclature/ HUGO] for the protein and enter the ID<ref>HUGO IDs follow the format <code>hgnc_id=xxxx</code>, and may also be found in the page's URL.</ref> in [http://diberri.crabdance.com/cgi-bin/templatefiller/index.cgi?ddb=&type=hgnc_id this page].

==Content sections==
{{shortcut|WP:MEDORDER|WP:MEDSECTIONS}}
The following lists of suggested sections are intended to help structure a new article or an existing article that requires a substantial rewrite. Changing an established article simply to fit these guidelines might not be welcomed by other editors. The given order of sections may be varied, particularly if that helps an article progressively develop concepts and avoid repetition. Do not discourage potential readers by placing a highly technical section near the start of your article.

An appropriate list of [[#Standard appendices|appendices]] follows at the end of articles for citations and other resources.

===Diseases or disorders or syndromes===
Clinical articles can achieve a level of consistency by limiting their top-level headers to those specified below. However, the spectrum of medical conditions is huge, including infectious and genetic diseases, chronic and acute illness, the life-threatening and the inconvenient. Some sections will necessarily be absent or may be better merged, especially if the article is not (yet) comprehensive.

A disease that is now only of historical significance may benefit from having its History section moved towards the top. Establishing the forms of the disease (Classification) can be an important first section. However, if such classification depends heavily on understanding the cause, [[pathogenesis]] or [[symptom]]s, then that section may be better moved to later in the article. If a disease is incurable, then the Prognosis section can be moved up, and a section called Management is more appropriate than Treatment.

The following list of suggested headings contains wikilinks; the actual headings should not.
* '''[[Nosology|Classification]]''': If relevant.  May also be placed as a subheading of Diagnosis.
* '''[[Medical sign|Signs]] and [[symptom]]s''' or '''Characteristics''' or '''Presentation''' (subsection '''Complications''')
* '''[[Etiology|Causes]]''':  Includes '''[[risk factors]]''', triggers, '''genetics''', '''[[virology]]''' (e.g., structure/[[Morphology (biology)|morphology]] and [[Viral life cycle|replication]]), spread.
* '''Mechanism''':  For information about '''[[pathogenesis]]''' and '''[[pathophysiology]]'''.
* '''[[Diagnosis]]''':  Includes characteristic biopsy findings and differential diagnosis. May include co-morbidities if relevant to the differential diagnosis.
* '''[[Preventive medicine|Prevention]]''' or '''[[Screening (medicine)|Screening]]''' (If the section only discusses [[secondary prevention]], it should follow the treatment section.)
* '''Treatment''' (or '''Management''', especially for chronic conditions): This might include any type of currently used treatment, such as [[Diet (nutrition)|diet]], [[exercise]], [[medication]], [[palliative care]], [[physical therapy]], [[psychotherapy]], [[self care]], [[surgery]], [[watchful waiting]], and many other possibilities.  Consider discussing treatments in a plausible order in which they might be tried, or discussing the most common treatments first.  Avoid experimental/speculative treatments and preventive measures (e.g., prophylactic vaccines or infection-avoidance techniques). Wikipedia articles [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|should not be written in a "how-to" style]], but this does not prevent adding official guidelines of treatments or managements if these can be presented in an objective manner and with [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources (medicine-related articles)|medically reliable sources]].
* '''Outcomes''' or '''[[Prognosis]]'''. May also be labelled "Possible outcomes" or "Outlook".
* '''[[Epidemiology]]''': factors such as [[Incidence (epidemiology)|incidence]], [[prevalence]], age distribution, co-morbidities, and sex ratio.
* '''History''':  Early discoveries, historical figures, and outdated treatments (not [[Medical history|patient history]])
* '''Society and culture''':  This might include social perceptions, cultural history, stigma, economics, religious aspects, awareness, legal issues, and notable cases.
* '''Research directions''':  Include only if addressed by significant sources.  See ''[[#Trivia|Trivia]]'', and avoid useless statements like "[[FRIN|More research is needed]]".  Wikipedia is not a directory of clinical trials or researchers.
* '''Special populations''', such as '''Geriatrics''' or '''Pregnancy''' or '''Children'''
* '''Other animals'''

===Drugs, treatments, and devices===
{{see also|Wikipedia:WikiProject Pharmacology/Style guide}}
The lead should highlight the name of the treatment product as per normal guidelines. In the case of drugs, this would include the [[International Nonproprietary Name]], while the [[British Approved Name|BAN]] or [[United States Adopted Name|USAN]] variant may also be mentioned with title words in bold. The initial brand name(s) and manufacturer follow, in parentheses. Indicate the drug class and family and the main indications. The '''External links''' section is a magnet for online pharmacy [[Spam (electronic)|spam]] and should be avoided if possible.

Avoid cloning drug formularies such as the [[British National Formulary|BNF]] and online resources like [http://www.rxlist.com/ RxList] and [http://www.drugs.com/ Drugs.com]. Extract the pertinent information rather than [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information|dumping low-level facts]] into a big list. For example, a long list of side effects is largely useless without some idea of which are common or serious. It can be illuminating to compare the drug with others in its class, or with older and newer drugs. Do not include dose, titration or pricing information except when they are extensively discussed by secondary sources, necessary for the discussion in the article, or when listing equivalent doses between different pharmaceuticals. [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|Wikipedia is not an instruction manual or textbook]] and should not include instructions, advice (medical or otherwise) or "how-to"s. {{crossref|See also the [[Wikipedia:Medical disclaimer]].}}

The following list of suggested headings contains wikilinks; the actual headings should not.
* '''[[Indication (medicine)|Medical uses]]''' or '''Uses''' (how the intervention is used, along with evaluations of efficacy if available)
* '''[[Contraindication]]s'''
* '''[[Adverse effect]]s''' ''(may include "[[addiction]]", "[[substance dependence|dependence]]", or "[[drug withdrawal|withdrawal]]")'' or '''[[Side effect]]s'''
* '''[[Drug overdose|Overdose]]''' ''(including toxicity caused by overdose)''
* '''[[Drug interaction]]s''' or '''Interactions'''
* '''[[Pharmacology]]'''
** '''[[Mechanism of action]]''' or '''[[Pharmacodynamics]]'''
** '''[[Pharmacokinetics]]''' ''(cover [[Absorption (pharmacokinetics)|absorption]], [[Distribution (pharmacology)|distribution]], [[metabolism]] and [[excretion]])''
** '''[[Pharmacomicrobiomics]]''' (if known, cover any clinically significant drug-microbiota interactions)
* '''Chemistry''' ''(for drugs)''
** '''Synthesis''': Content should be encyclopaedic, [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|not instructional]], and should include content and a source explaining the relevance of the synthesis information provided (the first, the one used to manufacture the drug, etc.).
** '''Detection in body fluids'''
* '''Manufacturing'''
* '''History'''
* '''Society and culture'''
** '''Legal status'''
** '''Recreational use'''
** '''Economics'''
** '''Brand names'''
* '''Research''': Include only if addressed by significant sources.  See ''[[#Trivia|Trivia]]'', and avoid useless statements like "[[More research is needed]]".  Wikipedia is not a directory of clinical trials or researchers.  Avoid [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a soapbox or means of promotion|promotional]] descriptions of early-stage interventions.
* '''Veterinary use''' or '''other animals'''

===Surgeries and procedures===
* '''Uses''' (or '''Medical uses''' if clarification is required)
* '''Contra-indications'''
* '''Risks/Complications'''
* '''Technique''' (avoid [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|step-by-step instructions]])
* '''Recovery''' or '''Rehabilitation'''
* '''History''' (e.g., when it was invented)
* '''Society and culture''' (include legal issues, if any)
* '''Special populations'''
* '''Other animals'''

===Signs or symptoms===
Most articles about [[medical sign]]s and [[symptom]]s should follow the below structure. Omit sections that secondary sources do not address and combine sections when this seems sensible. For example, the definition of some signs is amply covered by an explanation of the mechanism, so having a section dedicated to the definition would be redundant.
* '''Definition''' (current definitions)
* '''Differential diagnoses'''
* '''Pathophysiology''' or '''Mechanism'''
* '''Diagnostic approach''' or '''Evaluation'''
* '''Treatment''' or '''Management''' (for the symptom itself, if any:  e.g., analgesics for pain)
* '''Epidemiology''' (incidence, prevalence, risk factors)
* '''History''' (of the science, not of the patient:  e.g., "The oldest surviving description is in a medical text written by [[Avicenna]].")
* '''Society and culture''' (e.g., [[cachexia]] was a literary symbol for tuberculosis in the 19th century and for AIDS in the 1980s.)
* '''Research''' (Is anything important being done?)
* '''Other animals'''

===Medical tests===
Articles about [[diagnostic test]]s or other [[medical test]]s may follow this suggested order.  Many articles will only need some of these sections. This might also be a useful model for certain procedures.

While a general description of procedures may have encyclopaedic value, articles about tests and other medical procedures should not provide step-by-step directions, patient instructions, disclaimers or warnings.  Wikipedia is [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|not an instruction manual]] and [[Wikipedia:Medical disclaimer|does not give medical advice]].
* '''Types''', if more than one kind or variant of the test or procedure exists
* '''Medical uses''' or '''Uses''', including approved indications, non-approved indications (also called ''off-label uses''), and contraindications
** '''Interpretation of results''', including accuracy and specificity of test results
* '''Adverse effects'''
* '''Procedure'''
** '''Preparation'''
* '''Mechanism''', how the test or procedure works
* '''Legal issues''', such as whether special counselling is mandated, if any
* '''History''' of the test
* '''Society and culture'''
* '''Research'''
* '''Veterinary use'''

===Anatomy===
{{shortcuts|WP:ANATMOS}}
* '''Structure''' including a description of location and size, course, insertions and attachments. Possible subsections for blood supply, lymphatic drainage and nerve supply if these are complex enough. If covered on the same page, subsections may be devoted to individual substructures.
** '''Variations''', describing variations, if appropriate
** '''Development''', discussing the embryological/foetal and early-life development of the structure. May be included as a subsection in "Structure", especially for minor anatomical structures.
** '''Microanatomy''' or '''Histology''', where appropriate
* '''Function''' or '''Physiology''' as appropriate
* '''Clinical significance''', discussing related diseases, medical associations with the structure, and use in surgery.
* '''Society and culture''', which may be excluded in minor anatomical structures.
* '''History''', describing the structure and the etymology of the word. Etymology may be included as a separate subsection, if sufficient information exists.
* '''Other animals''', which may include [[comparative anatomy]] for discussing non-human anatomy in articles that are predominantly human based.
* '''Additional images''' may be used to display high-quality images, preferably in a [[WP:GALLERY|gallery format]]. Each image must help the reader understand the subject and should provide something unique.

Additionally:
* The lead should begin by stating in the most general form the location and purpose of the structure. For example, "The metatarsals are bones found in the human foot." 
* A link to the Commons image category for images may be provided in the "See also" section. If article makes use of [[anatomical terminology]], please add <nowiki>{{Anatomy-terms}} or {{AT}}</nowiki> as the first link in the "See also" section.
* "Nerve supply" is preferred to "innervation" as a subsection title.
* If the article uses text from a public domain source, please add appropriate tags such as {{TI|Gray's}} as the first link in the section relating to references.
* Do not add images: just because they are pretty; that are too similar to existing images; or several images of the same thing in different levels of zoom—assume instead that readers can use the gallery tool or click to see the image/more images on Commons. The {{tl|Commons category}} link may be included in this section.

===Medical specialties===
* '''Scope''' including typical diseases/medical conditions; include any important sub-specialties
* '''History''' development of the field, including notable founders
* '''Investigations''' investigations, diagnostics, and related techniques used in the specialty
* '''Treatments'''
* '''Training''' may be subdivided by country if necessary
* '''Ethical and medicolegal issues''' any ethical issues that are specific to this field

This list of sections deliberately does ''not'' include:  lists of professional organisations, training programs, publications, and companies working in the field.

===Standard appendices===
After the content of the article, please organise citations and other resources in the following order:
* '''See also''':  Avoid the [[WP:SEEALSO|''See also'' section]] when possible; prefer wikilinks in the main article and [[WP:NAVBOX|navigation templates]] at the end.
* '''Notes''' and '''References''':  Both [[WP:General references]] and [[WP:Inline citations]] belong here.
* '''Further reading''':  The [[WP:FURTHERREADING|''Further reading'']] section lists  books and other publications (not usually websites) that were ''not'' used as references and that editors recommend to readers.  These may be historically important publications, significant textbooks, or popular science works. (It is best if when adding a journal it is of a ''general review'' type.)
* '''External links''':  Avoid if possible; see additional advice [[#External links|below]].

===Society and culture===
====Notable cases====
{{shortcut|WP:MEDCASE|WP:MEDTRIVIA}}
{{anchor|Notable_cases}}{{see also|Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Trivia sections|Wikipedia:Stand-alone lists#Lists of people}}

Articles on medical conditions sometimes include lists of notable cases of the disease. For the person to be included in such a list there must be significant coverage of them having the condition, not simply a mention in passing or them self-disclosing on social media. One restriction that some editors favour is to include only those individuals who have lastingly affected the popular perception of a condition, such as through public awareness campaigns that have received enduring media coverage. 

'''Unsourced additions, [[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons#Remove contentious material that is unsourced or poorly sourced|particularly about living persons]], must be removed'''. Responsibility for justifying controversial claims rests firmly on the shoulders of the editor making the claim. Be very firm about high-quality references, particularly about details of personal lives.

If the list is (or could be) long enough to support a separate article, then consider [[Wikipedia:Splitting|splitting]] it off. The format can be prose, such as {{Section link|Societal and cultural aspects of Tourette syndrome#Notable individuals}}, or a list, such as [[List of people with epilepsy]]. Regardless, such articles must be well verified or they may quickly end up deleted. Wikipedia's [[Wikipedia:Lists (stand-alone lists)#Naming conventions|Naming conventions]] generally discourage the use of words such as "notable" or "famous" in such list titles.

====Media portrayals====
Before including in a disease or medication article that the topic was covered in a television show, movie, or book there must be significant third-party coverage of the event. Therefore, it is not enough to reference the [[Internet Movie Database]] or the book itself to demonstrate that "[[Acquired pure red cell aplasia]] was featured in the [[House (TV series)|''House'']] episode '[[Spin (House)|Spin]]'". The event must have been commented on by the medical literature or mainstream press (e.g., a magazine article saying that the episode increased awareness of the condition).  Articles about common conditions and drugs (e.g., pregnancy, alcohol abuse, depression, heart disease) usually do not have information about media portrayals, or if they do, the sections are sourced to high-quality, preferably scholarly literature (e.g., AIDS, breast cancer).

===Etymology===
[[Etymologies]] are often helpful, particularly for anatomy. Features that are derived from other anatomical features (that still have shared terms in them) should refer the reader to the structure that provided the term, not to the original derivation. For example, the etymology section of [[Deltoid tuberosity]] should refer the reader to the [[deltoid muscle]], not to the definition 'delta-shaped, triangular'. The etymology in [[Deltoid muscle]], however, should identify the Greek origin of the term.

In articles that focus on anatomy, please include the Latin (or Latinised Greek) name of anatomical objects, as this is very helpful to interwiki users and for people working with older scientific publications.

Many articles about [[eponym]]ous [[List of eponymous diseases|diseases]] and [[List of eponymous medical signs|signs]] include the origin of the name under the history section.

===External links===
{{see also|Wikipedia:External links|Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not|Wikipedia:Reliable sources}}

Disease-related organisations and government health departments sometimes produce web pages containing substantial information that would be of interest to readers wishing to further study the topic. Such links are chosen for the information content, not because the organisation is particularly worthy or helpful. All links must meet Wikipedia's [[Wikipedia:external links|external links]] guidelines, which in particular exclude discussion forums.

Don't use external links
# that lead to information already included in the article
# to web-based or email-based support groups for patients, professionals, or other affected people (even if run by a charitable organisation)
# to local, state, or regional charities, hospitals, clinics, or programs, or to meetings or events in a single location
# to personal experiences or survivor stories
# that recruit for clinical trials, sell products, or [[fundraising|raise money]]

If the disease is very rare, then a manageable set of charitable organisations may be of encyclopaedic interest.  In these cases, prefer links that provide information that is likely to be interesting to readers worldwide, such as a detailed article on the specific topic. It is usually better to link to an external web page that lists such charities, rather than try to provide such a list ourselves.

There are a number of templates that help format external links for common medical web sites. Full instructions are available on their respective pages. The most common ones are integrated in {{Tlx|Medical resources}}.
* [[Diseases Database]]: {{Tlx|DiseasesDB}} 
* [[eMedicine]]: {{Tlx|eMedicine}} and {{Tlx|eMedicine2}} — clinical overviews of disease entities by experts in the field.
* [[OMIM]] (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man): {{Tlx|OMIM}} — database of genetic disorders.
* [[PubMed]]: {{Tlx|PMID}} — an alternative method of linking to PubMed that shows "PubMed" as the link, rather than the numeric [[PMID|ID]].
* [[PubMed Central]]: {{Tlx|PMC}}
* [[MedlinePlus]]: {{Tlx|MedlinePlus}} — plain English medical encyclopeadia [[National Institutes of Health|NIH]].
* [[National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke]]: {{Tlx|NINDS}}
* [[SUNY Downstate Medical Center]]: {{Tlx|SUNYAnatomyFigs}} — an excellent source of online anatomic preparations.
* [[Who Named It?]]: {{Tlx|WhoNamedIt}} and {{Tlx|WhoNamedIt2}} — medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification.

=={{anchor|WP:CITEMED|WP:MEDREF|Wikipedia:CITEMED}} Citing medical sources==
{{shortcut|WP:CITEMED|WP:MEDREF}}
{{for|guidance on choosing and using reliable sources|Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources (medicine)|Wikipedia:Reliable source examples#Physical sciences and medicine}}
{{for|general guidance on citing sources|Wikipedia:Citing sources|Help:Footnotes|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout#Standard appendices and footers}}

Medical articles should be relatively dense with inline citations.  It is not acceptable to write substantial amounts of prose and then add your medical textbook to the ''References'' section as a [[WP:CITE#General reference|non-specific or general reference]]. It is too easy for a later editor to change the body text, and then nobody is sure which statements are backed up by which sources. Unlike many established scientific disciplines, medicine attracts controversy and opponents on even the most basic and commonly held facts.

There is no universal standard for formatting citations on Wikipedia, but the format should be consistent within any one article. Some editors format their citations by hand, for more control over the presentation. Most editors on biomedical topics prefer to use [[WP:CITET|citation templates]] such as {{Tlx|Cite journal}}, {{Tlx|Cite book}}, {{Tlx|Cite web}}, {{Tlx|Cite press release}}, or {{Tlx|Cite news}}. The now-deprecated alternative templates <nowiki>{{Cite doi}} and {{Cite pmid}}</nowiki> used to produce citations that did not match the above citation style.

===Templated citations===
[[File:Auto-citing a source using VisualEditor, small.gif|thumb|500px|right|In [[Wikipedia:VisualEditor|the visual editor]], paste a PubMed URL into the automatic cite dialog, and it will fill out a {{tl|cite journal}} template for you.  Insert it, and then click the "Edit" button on the context menu to make any changes you want. In the "Manual" tab, you can choose other citation templates or insert non-templated footnotes.]]

Citations in the [[Vancouver system|Vancouver format]] can be produced using the "vcite" family of templates rather than the standard templates. Simply replace the "Cite" with "vcite" when typing the template name: for example, {{Tlx|vcite journal}}. [[American Medical Association|AMA]] citation guidelines suggest that if there are more than six authors, include only the first three, followed by ''et al''.<ref name=AMA>{{cite web |url=//www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citama.htm |title=AMA Citation Style, American Medical Association Manual of Style |edition=9th |last=Delaney |first=Robert |date=November 8, 2006 |accessdate=2008-04-16 |publisher=[[Long Island University]] [[Long Island University C.W. Post Campus|C.W. Post Campus]], B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library}}</ref> The ''[[Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals]]'' (URM) citation guidelines list up to six authors, followed by ''et al.'' if there are more than six.<ref name=URM>{{cite web|url=//www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html |title=International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Sample References|publisher=United States [[National Library of Medicine]] |work=MEDLINE/Pubmed Resources|accessdate=2009-10-08}}</ref> Some editors prefer to expand the abbreviated journal name; others prefer concise standard abbreviations.

Abstracts of most medical journals are [[Gratis versus libre|freely available]] at [[PubMed]], which includes a means of searching the [[MEDLINE]] database. The easiest way to populate the journal and book citation templates is to use [[User:Diberri|Diberri]]'s template-filling web site or the [[WP:URF|Universal reference formatter]]. Search [//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi PubMed] for your journal article and enter the [[PMID]] (PubMed Identifier) into [//tools.wmflabs.org/citation-template-filling/cgi-bin/index.cgi Diberri's template filler]. If you use [[Internet Explorer]] or [[Mozilla Firefox]] (2.0+), then [[User:Wouterstomp/Bookmarklet|Wouterstomp's bookmarklet]] can automate this step from the PubMed abstract page. Take care to check that all the fields are correctly populated, since the tool does not always work 100%. For books, enter the ISBN into [//tools.wmflabs.org/citation-template-filling/cgi-bin/index.cgi?ddb=&type=isbn Diberri's tool]. Multiple references to the same source citation can be achieved by ensuring the inline reference is named uniquely. Diberri's tool can format a reference with the PMID or ISBN as the name. An alternative is to use a Harvard-style reference: for example, <code>name=Hedley2004</code>.

In addition to the standard citation text, it is important to supply hyperlinks, which greatly assist [[Wikipedia:Verifiability|verification]]. If citation templates are used, these links can be supplied via the {{para|pmid}}, {{para|doi}}, {{para|url}} and {{para|pmc}} parameters. Do not add a "Retrieved on" date for [[Wikipedia:convenience links|convenience links]] to online editions of paper journals (however "Retrieved on" dates are needed on other websources).

A citation using {{tl|cite journal}}:
:<code><nowiki>{{cite journal |vauthors=Bannen RM, Suresh V, Phillips GN Jr, Wright SJ, Mitchell JC |title=Optimal design of thermally stable proteins |journal=Bioinformatics |volume=24 |issue=20 |pages=2339–2343 |year=2008 |pmid=18723523 |pmc=2562006 |doi=10.1093/bioinformatics/btn450 |url=//bioinformatics.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/24/20/2339 }}</nowiki></code>

produces:
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Bannen RM, Suresh V, Phillips GN Jr, Wright SJ, Mitchell JC |title=Optimal design of thermally stable proteins |journal=Bioinformatics |volume=24 |issue=20 |pages=2339–2343 |year=2008 |pmid=18723523 |pmc=2562006 |doi=10.1093/bioinformatics/btn450 |url=//bioinformatics.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/24/20/2339 }}

The date parameter should reflect the "Publication date" as given on PubMed or elsewhere, rather than a preprint e-pub date:
:<code><nowiki>{{cite journal |vauthors=Meunier B, Robert A |title=Heme as trigger and target for trioxane-containing antimalarial drugs |journal=Acc Chem Res. |date=Nov 16, 2010 |volume=43 |issue=11 |pages=1444–1451 |type=Review |pmid=20804120 |doi=10.1021/ar100070k}}</nowiki></code>

produces:
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Meunier B, Robert A |title=Heme as trigger and target for trioxane-containing antimalarial drugs |journal=Acc Chem Res. |date=Nov 16, 2010 |volume=43 |issue=11 |pages=1444–1451 |type=Review |pmid=20804120 |doi=10.1021/ar100070k}}

===Hand-coded citations===
Even when hand-coding citations, there are still template tools to assist editors with making these links. If the abstract of a journal article is available on PubMed, use the {{tl|pmid}} template to add a link. If the article has a [[digital object identifier]] (DOI), use the {{tl|doi}} template. If and only if the article's full text is freely available online, supply a [[uniform resource locator]] (URL) to this text by hyperlinking the article title in the citation. If the full text is freely available on the journal's website and on PubMed Central, prefer to link the former as PubMed central's copy is often a pre-publication draft. When the source text is available in both [[HTML]] and [[PDF]], the former is preferred, as it is compatible with more browsers.

For example:

:<code><nowiki>Levy R, Cooper P. [//www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD001903/frame.html Ketogenic diet for epilepsy.] Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(3):CD001903. {{doi|10.1002/14651858.CD001903}}. {{PMID|12917915}}.</ref></nowiki></code>

produces the footnote
* Levy R, Cooper P. [//onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD001903/frame.html Ketogenic diet for epilepsy.] Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(3):CD001903. {{doi|10.1002/14651858.CD001903}}. {{PMID|12917915}}.

==Navigation boxes==
{{main|WP:NAVBOX}}
{{shortcut|WP:MEDNAV}}

Suitable [[Wikipedia:Navigation template|templates for navigation boxes]] can be found here:
* [[:Category:Medicine templates|Medicine templates]]
* [[:Category:Drug templates|Drug templates]]

Navigational boxes should follow a standardised style. Navboxes are constructed using the <code>hlist</code> class to organise material into horizontal lists. For more information, see [[WP:HLIST]]. As when choosing article titles, drugs should be referred to by their [[International Nonproprietary Name]]s, using [[WP:PIPE|piped links]] when required.

Medical navboxes should be placed on appropriately specific articles and satisfy the general criteria found in [[WP:NAVBOX]]. General navboxes such as {{tl|Medicine}} should not be placed indiscriminately on all articles. Conversely, specific navboxes such as {{tl|Bone, cartilage, and joint procedures}} should not be placed on general articles such as [[surgery]]. Do not insert meta or "index" navboxes that link only to other navboxes.<ref>Consensus from February 2016  [[:Special:Permalink/704343374#Index_templates|here]]</ref>

For drugs, footnotes may be manually added to indicate the regulatory status of a drug; for instance, one may wish to note that a drug is still in [[drug development|development]], is only used in [[veterinary medicine]], or has been [[list of withdrawn drugs|withdrawn from the market]]. The recommended order of footnote symbols is: *, †, ‡, §. A standardised list can be included in drug navboxes by adding {{para|below|{{tl|PharmNavFootnote}}}} Working examples may be seen in several navboxes, including {{tl|Antiretroviral drug}} and {{tl|Nucleic acid inhibitors}}.

==Categories==
'''Diseases or disorders or syndromes'''

Diseases/disorders/syndromes should be categorised within [[:Category:Diseases and disorders]] by their [[ICD-11|ICD-11 code(s)]].  These articles should not also be categorised by medical specialty or body part if they are properly categorised in a subcategory of [[:Category:Diseases and disorders]].  If applicable, diseases/disorders/syndromes may also be categorised within subcategories of [[:Category:Genetic disorders]].

'''Drugs'''

{{See|Wikipedia:WikiProject Pharmacology/Categorization}}
Drugs should be categorised within [[:Category:Drugs by target organ system]] based on [[Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System|ATC code]].  Drugs can also be categorised by mechanism of action in [[:Category:Drugs by mechanism of action]] and by physical structure.

'''Symptoms or signs'''

Symptoms and signs should be categorised in subcategories of [[:Category:Symptoms]] and [[:Category:Medical signs]], respectively.  Symptom categorization should be based on [[ICD-11|ICD-11 code]].

'''Medical tests'''

Articles about medical tests themselves should be categorised in subcategories of [[:Category:Medical tests]] based on the type of sample tested (e.g. [[:Category:Blood tests]]).  Diagnostic imaging should be categorised into subcategories of [[:Category:Medical imaging]] (e.g. [[:Category:Radiography]] for X-ray based imaging).  Articles about results of medical tests should be categorised by [[ICD-11|ICD-11 code]] in subcategories of [[:Category:Abnormal clinical and laboratory findings]] (e.g. [[Hyperglycemia]] is located in [[:Category:Abnormal clinical and laboratory findings for blood]]).

'''Anatomy'''

Articles about anatomy should be categorised within subcategories of [[:Category:Organs (anatomy)]] and [[:Category:Organ systems]].

'''Medical specialties'''

Major specialties practiced within the field of medicine should each have their own [[WP:EPON|eponymous category]] within [[:Category:Medical specialties]].  Articles for medical specialties should be a member of its eponymous category.

'''People'''

People with a medical condition should only be categorised within subcategories of [[:Category:People by medical or psychological condition]]&nbsp;– not within any category for medical specialties, diseases or disorders categories. Where the categorization is at all contentious or doubtful, it should not be included. A source for the categorization must be provided within the article. See also the [[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons#Categories, lists, and navigation templates|policy on living persons]] and [[Wikipedia:Categorization of people|guideline on categorizing people]].

'''Stubs'''

Stub articles may additionally be categorised according to the list at [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Medicine/Stub sorting]].

===Categorizing redirects===
{{Main|Wikipedia:Categorizing redirects}}

Please categorise redirects only if the redirect is for a significantly different alternative name, not minor variants on spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. 
Categorizing these redirects allows readers to find articles by browsing the categories, even if they only know one of the names for the condition.

:''Example:''  [[Acne aestivalis]] (article) and [[Mallorca acne]] (redirect) are two names for the same condition.  Both the article and the redirect include [[:Category:Acneiform eruptions]].

Redirects that are categorised should be additionally tagged with {{tl|R from alternative name}}, and the talk page may be tagged for the project with {{tl|WPMED}}, with the class set to <code>Redirect</code> and the importance either left blank or set to <code>NA</code>.

Redirects to minor variations should ''not'' be categorised and should ''not'' be tagged with {{tl|R from alternative name}}.  Other {{tl|R from}} templates may be appropriate on these redirects, such as {{tl|R from alternative spelling}}, {{tl|R from alternative capitalization}}, {{tl|R from alternative punctuation}}, or {{tl|R from plural}}.

==Images==
{{See|c:Commons:Patient images|meta:Wikilegal/Copyright of Medical Imaging}}
In addition to the usual standards of image selection outlined by the [[Wikipedia:Image use policy]] and [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Images]], which cover image quality and pertinence, several other considerations apply to articles about medical conditions:
* '''Identifiable people''':  Although the Wikimedia Foundation does not require special protection for people whose images are being used in medicine-related contexts, editors are encouraged to be cautious associating living people with diseases. Identifiable images of people should be provided with the person's consent, preferably noted on the image's description (an example of an image with this is [[:File:Jaundice08.jpg|here]]). Where consent is not documented, [[Wikipedia:Assume good faith|good faith]] should be assumed. In choosing images of identifiable people with a medical condition, prefer images of people strongly associated with the condition (e.g., [[Terry Fox]] for [[osteosarcoma]]) or engaged in a public activity associated with that disease (e.g., AIDS patients at an [[ACT UP]] event) when such images are available.
* '''Technical images''':  Technical images, such as of stained pathology slides, are appropriate for many articles.  However, they are often not the most accessible images for the introduction. Consider placing simpler images in the lead and placing more technical images in a relevant section with [[Wikipedia:Make technical articles understandable|captions in plain English]].
* '''Shock value''': Some images of medical conditions or procedures disturb some readers, e.g., because of visible deformities or the presence of blood.  Potentially disturbing images should not be used for their shock value, for decoration, or merely to add an image.  A detailed caption that identifies specific features may increase the educational value of the image and reduce the likelihood of disturbing readers.  Placement in a relevant section, rather than in the introduction, is also likely to reduce the shock value to readers.  [[Wikipedia:Offensive material]] offers additional advice.
* '''Sexual images''': Many medicine-related articles include images of genitals or other body parts normally kept covered.  In general, Wikipedia aspires to be a high-quality reference source, and thus follows the general patterns of other high-quality reference sources.  Doing so helps editors comply with the directive from the Wikimedia Foundation's board of trustees to follow the [[principle of least astonishment]] in image selection.  In some cases, following these principles means providing multiple photographs of genitals, even though that may offend some viewers.  In other cases, this means using [[line art]] or other drawings.  In still others, it means choosing non-sexual images.  For example, images for anatomy articles should normally be taken from line art and unemotional photographs in the [[standard anatomical position]], rather than from [[art nude]]s or [[pornography magazine]]s.  In general, editors should choose images of the sort they find in high-quality reliable sources, with the least distraction or irrelevancies (e.g., [[high heels]] on an otherwise naked woman or visible genitals in an image that is supposed to illustrate [[Navel]]), and use appropriate captions to maximise the educational value of the images.  [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Sexology and sexuality/WIP-image-guidelines]] offers some additional advice.
* '''POV pushing''':  On occasion, disputes arise over the neutrality of image choices. For example, an editor may want to include a picture of a person urinating outdoors to tell the world that urinating outdoors is natural and appropriate.  An editor who [[AIDS denialism|denies the existence of AIDS]] may oppose inclusion of an image of the HIV particle because they believe the virus does not exist. Other editors have promoted the inclusion of long-term survivors of normally deadly diseases to "give other patients hope". None of these are good reasons for choosing or deleting images. Images should be chosen and located because they illustrate specific concepts described in the text they are attached to.

==See also==
* [[Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources (medicine)]]
* [[Wikipedia:Conflicts of interest (medicine)]]
* [[WP:WikiProject Disability/Style advice]]. An essay by editors involved with WikiProject Disability.

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Wikipedia biomedical editing|state=plain}}{{style wide}}

[[Category:Wikipedia Manual of Style (science)|Medicine]]
[[Category:WikiProject Medicine]]