Welcome to ELF Connect. This space has been designed to support meaningful communication between patients and healthcare professionals. 

Our aim is to create a safe and inclusive community where people can share experiences, learn from one another and work together to improve healthcare.

Purpose of the community 

This is a place for:

• Discussing important healthcare topics
• Sharing verified resources and trustworthy information
• Learning from diverse perspectives, including lived experience and clinical expertise
• Collaborating to improve healthcare experiences and outcomes

This is not a place for:

• Personal medical advice or diagnoses
• Promoting unverified treatments, products or services
• Commercial promotion or spam
• Harassment, discrimination or harmful behaviour

Who can post

Roles

Healthcare professionals
Create posts, share resources, respond to comments

Designated Patient Advisory Group (PAG) members
Create posts, share resources, respond to comments

Community members
View posts, comment, vote and react 

All contributors are expected to uphold the same standards of respect and accuracy.

Privacy and confidentiality

To protect yourself and other, please do NOT share:

• Full names, home addresses, phone numbers or email addresses
• Dates of birth, medical record numbers or other identifying information
• Detailed medical histories that could identify you or someone else
• Medical records, prescription labels or identifiable locations
• Photos of people without their permission 
• Screenshots of private conversations without explicit consent

Remember: Once something is posted online, it can be difficult to remove completely. When in doubt, leave it out.

Respectful communication

We expect all members to:

• Treat others with kindness, dignity and respect
• Use inclusive language and avoid assumptions about others’ experiences
• Disagree constructively without personal attacks
• Recognise that healthcare experiences can vary widely between individuals
• Be patient with those who may communicate differently because of health conditions or access needs

We do not tolerate:

• Harassment, bullying or intimidation
• Discrimination based on age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or health status
• Dismissive or belittling language about others’ lived experiences (e.g. “you’re overreacting”)
• Blaming patients for their health outcomes

Content and posting standards 

Allowed content types

• Comments: Thoughtful responses to posts
• Images: Diagrams, infographics or photos that you have permission to share 
• Links: Reputable scientific, clinical or evidence-based sources
• Polls/Questionnaires: For gathering community perspectives 

Please also:

• Stay on topic and post in the most relevant discussion thread
• Avoid posting the same content multiple times

Medical information disclaimer

⚠️ Important: This community does not replace professional medical advice.

• Nothing posted here should be treated as a diagnosis, treatment recommendation or medical advice
• Always consult your own healthcare provider for personal medical decisions
• Healthcare professionals posting here are contributing to general discussion, not providing individual care

If you are experiencing a medical emergency or if you or someone else may be at immediate risk, please contact your local emergency or crisis support services rather than posting here.

Accuracy and misinformation

To help maintain trust in this community space:

• Share information from credible, verifiable sources
• Clearly distinguish between personal experience and evidence-based information
• If you are unsure about something, say so
• Correct yourself openly if you share incorrect information
• Report posts that appear to spread harmful misinformation

Healthcare professional posts should indicate their area of expertise (e.g. “I’m a cardiologist”) rather than implying expertise across all medicine.

Reporting and moderation

How to report a concern:
For urgent concerns, email the European Lung Foundation at info@europeanlung.org 

What happens:

• Reports are reviewed by admins within 48 hours
• Minor violations may result in a warning or content removal
• Serious or repeated violations may result in temporary or permanent removal from the community
• All reports are handled confidentially
• Accessibility considerations

We want this space to be accessible to all. Please:

• Use clear, plain language where possible
• Add alt-text descriptions to images
• Avoid flashing or strobing content
• Consider that members may have cognitive, visual or motor impairments
• Be patient with response times, some health conditions may affect how quickly people can engage

Read our full accessibility policy.

Changes to these guidelines

These guidelines may be updated periodically. Members will be notified of significant changes through an announcement post. Continued use of the community indicates acceptance of updated guidelines.

Quick Reference: the 4 C’s

Check: is this information from a reliable source?
Care: Am I being kind, taking care and being respectful in my wording? 
Confidentiality: Have I removed identifying information? 
Comment: Am I sharing experience, not giving medical advice? 

Last updated: March 2026
Questions about these guidelines? Contact the ELF team: info@europeanlung.org