H-01 · Standards Field: IHPSO Health Standards
Health Information & Claims
Requirements for truthful, evidence-proportionate and scope-appropriate communication of health information and claims.
Purpose
Health-related statements can influence the decisions, expectations and behavior of clients and the public. H-01 therefore establishes a shared IHPSO standard for how Professionals, Providers and Organisations formulate, substantiate and contextualize health information and claims. In particular, the standard is intended to prevent preliminary evidence from being presented as certainty, associations as causation, personal experience as general proof of efficacy, or education as unauthorized diagnosis or treatment.
Scope
H-01 applies to health-related communication within the IHPSO Health Standards Field. It covers general health education, individualized communication, express and implied health claims, disease claims, scientific statements, marketing, websites, social media, presentations, testimonials, product and intervention communication, and the representation of uncertainty and evidence strength. Regulatory categories such as “health claim,” “disease claim” or “structure/function claim” may have specific legal meanings in individual jurisdictions. H-01 does not replace those definitions. Different legal requirements may also apply to education, advertising, labeling, professional communication and other communication contexts.
The standard does not itself determine which medical or regulated activities a person may lawfully perform. That question is governed by U-02 Scope of Practice and applicable legal, professional and organizational requirements.
The standard does not itself determine which medical or regulated activities a person may lawfully perform. That question is governed by U-02 Scope of Practice and applicable legal, professional and organizational requirements.
Requirements
- Health-related claims must be truthful and must not represent the underlying evidence as stronger than it actually is.
- The strength of a claim must not exceed the strength of the evidence supporting it.
- The wording alone does not determine the claim; the overall message communicated also matters. The claim is the message received, not only the words written.
- Objective health claims must have an appropriate evidentiary basis before they are communicated professionally or publicly.
- For substantive scientific health claims, the evidentiary basis must be traceable: Claim → Evidence Source → Interpretation.
- Professionals must distinguish general information, individualized recommendation, interpretation, diagnosis and treatment, and communicate within their actual Scope of Practice.
- Associations must not be presented as causation without sufficient basis.
- Mechanistic, animal, laboratory or early human evidence must not be presented as demonstrated clinical human benefit without sufficient basis.
- Changes in biomarkers or surrogate measures must not automatically be communicated as improved clinical outcomes.
- Material uncertainty, limitations and relevant conflicting evidence must be appropriately considered when making strong health claims.
- Express and implied claims must both be considered. Images, titles, testimonials, context and overall presentation must not communicate a stronger claim than the underlying evidence can support.
- Testimonials and personal experiences may be presented as experiences, but must not substitute for appropriate evidence supporting an objective health claim.
- Evidence relating to an ingredient or component must not automatically be transferred to a different finished product. Formulation, Dose, Route, Population and Outcome must match the evidentiary basis of the specific claim.
- Relevant conflicts of interest, financial relationships, affiliate relationships or other commercial interests must be disclosed where they could reasonably affect the interpretation, credibility or perceived independence of a health-related claim; additional legal disclosure requirements remain unaffected.
- Strong efficacy or disease-related language such as “proven,” “prevents,” “cures,” “reverses,” “guarantees,” or similar claims requires correspondingly strong evidence and must also be permissible for the relevant product, service, professional role and jurisdiction. Scientific support does not automatically establish legal permission to make a claim.
- A disclaimer does not legitimize an overall misleading statement or communication outside Scope of Practice.
- Where an individualized question requires diagnostic, therapeutic or other professional assessment outside the Professional's scope, the boundary must be disclosed and appropriate referral used where needed.
- Where an IHPSO Evidence Classification is used, it must apply to the specific claim and must not be assigned broadly to an entire intervention by default.
Evidence classification
Not assigned at standard level
Justification
H-01 contains multiple distinct normative and scientific requirements. Under the IHPSO Health Standards Architecture 1.0, Evidence Classification is used only where scientifically applicable and always on a claim-specific basis. Assigning the entire standard a single classification such as ESTABLISHED, SUPPORTED, EMERGING, EXPERIMENTAL or INSUFFICIENT would inappropriately combine different claims with normative Professional Requirements. Individual scientific claims within future Standards Entries or related resources may be classified separately.