Our principles

Every claim is cited

AskMed's first principle is that every claim in an answer can be checked: each sentence or clause is followed by a link to the source that supports it, and the app turns those links into numbered references you can open. Before an answer is written, AskMed searches a fixed list of trusted medical sources, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, NICE, WHO, CDC, the FDA and DailyMed drug labels, and references such as StatPearls and the MSD Manual. It does not search the open web, forums or social media. The AI that writes the answer is instructed to cite a source only for what that source actually says, and never to invent web addresses, studies, statistics or citation numbers. An answer draws on 8 sources by default, and you can choose anywhere from 3 to 12. When sources disagree, the answer says so and says which evidence is stronger.

Sources are ranked by the strength of the evidence: clinical guidelines and health agencies first, then systematic reviews and meta-analyses, then review articles and references, then large trials and other studies. Sources from the last 10 years are preferred unless the topic is settled basic science. How AskMed answers lists every source.

No source, no answer

AskMed does not answer from memory when its search finds nothing usable. If no usable medical source turns up, or the question isn't a medical one, the AI-written answer is replaced by a fixed reply, written in advance in the app's language, that says AskMed couldn't find medical sources and asks you to rephrase the question as a medical one. The same fixed reply replaces any answer that comes back without citing a single source, so an uncited answer is never presented as if it were evidence. When the sources found cover only part of a question, AskMed is instructed to say plainly that the evidence doesn't answer it, and to cite fewer sources rather than pad the answer with weak or off-topic ones. An unclear question is answered by its most likely meaning, and the first sentence says which meaning was assumed, so you can see at once whether AskMed understood you.

No drug doses

AskMed never states medication doses: no dose amounts, dose calculations, titration schedules, administration frequencies or patient-specific prescribing instructions. That rule holds for exam questions, hypothetical cases, research summaries, follow-up questions and requests to quote a drug label, and for files you attach, whose doses AskMed doesn't repeat. A dose question isn't refused. AskMed answers the parts it can, such as what the drug is used for, how it works, first-line and alternative options, how dosing is chosen and adjusted for kidney or liver function, age, weight or interactions, monitoring and side effects, and ends with one short sentence saying exact dosing comes from the current prescribing information and the treating clinician. Dose numbers are also rewritten in general words in the source excerpts AskMed shows, while lab values stay as they are. Medical device settings, such as ventilator settings or tube sizes, are not doses and keep their numbers.

A reference, not a symptom checker

AskMed is a medical reference for education, not a symptom checker and not a tool for patients to diagnose themselves. It doesn't diagnose a patient or decide treatment for a person, it doesn't replace clinical judgment, supervision, local protocols or the original guidelines and drug labels, and it isn't for emergencies; in an emergency, call your local emergency number. Answers are written by an AI language model from the sources AskMed found, and no person reviews an answer before you see it. That is why every claim carries a citation: checking the source and applying local guidance stay with you. AskMed also treats clinicians as clinicians. When you say you are a clinician, AskMed answers peer to peer and doesn't tell you to go and see a doctor; specialist assessment is mentioned only as a clinical option you can choose. Using AskMed doesn't create a doctor-patient relationship with anyone.

Built for the whole care team

AskMed is built for everyone who works or studies in medicine: practicing physicians, residents and fellows, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, allied health professionals, medical researchers and students. The instructions behind every answer name that audience directly: medical education for clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, other health professionals and students. The setup questions in the Android app list all of those roles, and the next iPhone and iPad update brings the same list. AskMed works worldwide and doesn't ask for a US license or an NPI number. It is available in seven languages, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese and Arabic, and answers are written in the language of the question. Because guidelines and drug approvals differ between countries, AskMed looks in official drug registries from many countries for local brand names, and you can name your country in a question when local practice matters.

One account works on iPhone and iPad, Android and the web, so you can use it on the web at a workstation and on your phone on the ward.

No pharma advertising or sponsorship

AskMed carries no pharma advertising or sponsorship: there are no sponsored answers, no drug promotions and no adverts inside the app, so nothing paid for by a drug maker sits next to or inside an answer. The order in which AskMed uses sources is set by the type and strength of the evidence, with guidelines and health agencies first and then systematic reviews, review articles and trials, never by who paid for a placement. A drug is named in an answer because the guideline, label or study behind it names it, and each mention links to that source so you can see where it came from. The sources themselves are the publishers' own pages, and AskMed links to them as they are. Your questions and answers are not used for advertising and are never sent to Meta, and AskMed does not sell, rent or trade your personal information to anyone, including drug companies.

Your data, treated with care

AskMed collects what it needs to answer your questions and run your account, and the Privacy Policy lists all of it. When AskMed sends a question to the AI that writes the answer, it doesn't send your name, email address or account details with it. When you attach a PDF, photo or note, the text is read on your own device or in your browser; only that text goes with your question, the file itself is not uploaded, and the text isn't stored on AskMed's servers. In the iPhone, iPad and Android apps, your History and Saved answers are kept on your device. Private Mode keeps new questions out of your History, though those questions are still sent to AskMed's servers to be answered and are recorded there. You can delete your account in Settings → Account → Delete Account, and email support@getaskmed.com to have your questions and answers deleted from AskMed's servers within 30 days.

• Please don't enter information that identifies a patient unless you are allowed to share it.
• AskMed measures its own advertising on Meta; the Privacy Policy lists exactly what that involves, and your questions and answers are never part of it.
• The app's setup questions about your role and specialty are optional, saved only as the options you pick, and not used for advertising.

Tell us when we get it wrong

AskMed treats every wrong answer as something to fix, and the fastest way to report one is the thumbs down under the answer. Under each answer, AskMed asks "Was this answer helpful?". Choosing Not helpful opens a "What went wrong?" sheet with five reasons: Inaccurate, Missing information, Sources don't match, Hard to understand, and Other, plus an optional note. AskMed keeps the rating, the reason and your note with that answer so it can be reviewed and the answers improved. The same feedback works in the iPhone, iPad, Android and web apps. Because every claim links to its source, the most useful report says which sentence was wrong and what the cited source really says. For anything else, or for an error you want a reply about, write to support@getaskmed.com. The How AskMed answers page explains how to check an answer against its sources.