Content operations
How to turn patient questions into article topics
Narrow broad treatment keywords into questions readers need answered, define each article's scope, and avoid overlapping content.
Go one step beyond the treatment name
A topic such as ‘dental implants’ gives little direction about what to explain. A question such as ‘What should I check if the estimate changes after an examination?’ includes the action a patient is preparing to take and makes the scope clearer.
Google encourages creators to assess whether content helps readers achieve their goals. Applied to editing, this means first deciding what someone can check after reading, rather than how many times to repeat a keyword.
Do not copy consultation records into drafts
Ask staff to summarize recurring categories of questions rather than hand over individual consultations. Do not transfer names, contact details, visit dates, examination images, or specific medical histories into planning documents.
Removing a name alone may still leave someone identifiable from an unusual situation combined with dates. Do not reproduce the original wording; rewrite it as a general question, such as ‘How can I check which items are included in the price?’
Group questions by the situation around a visit
The following is a fictional planning example, not a patient record. Even under the same treatment name, the answer needed changes with the situation.
| Situation | Question to plan around |
|---|---|
| Visit preparation | What information should I prepare before the first consultation? |
| Understanding an explanation | How should I check included items and additional conditions in an estimate? |
| Coordinating appointments | What determines the number of visits and the next review date? |
Define what one article will answer
Once you choose a question, write one sentence on what the article explains and another on what must be confirmed during care. There is no need to fit every symptom and treatment into one article.
- Use the question the reader actually needs to resolve as the title
- Give a brief answer in the opening, then explain conditions and ways to check
- Explain the information needed for a decision without prescribing an individual treatment outcome
Assign evidence and a person to check it
Distinguish facts the institution can confirm, such as opening hours, from explanations that need medical review, such as treatment choices. Check that each source actually supports the statement it accompanies.
Names and review labels should reflect the work performed. An editor improving the wording does not mean a clinician reviewed it. If supporting evidence is insufficient, narrow the question rather than broaden the conclusion.
Compare new topics with existing articles
Record the question, the reader's next action, existing related pages, required sources, and review owner in the planning list. If the answer already exists, improve that explanation rather than create another title.
Choose related links around the reader's next question too. Connecting location guidance to visit preparation, or cost guidance to checking an estimate, helps define the role of each article.