In APA 7, cite the article’s author, date, title, and source; do not list the “medically reviewed by” name unless credited as an author.
What “Medically Reviewed” Means For APA Citations
Many health sites add a line such as “Medically reviewed by Dr. Patel.” That line signals editorial vetting, not authorship. APA references center on who wrote the piece, the date, the title, and where it lives. If the reviewer is not credited as an author on the page, leave that name out of the reference. You can still mention the reviewer in your narrative if it helps your reader, but the reference list sticks to the author of record and the usual elements.
Web pages often show both “updated” and “reviewed” stamps. Use the clearest publication or updated date you can find on the page. Skip the “last reviewed” date in the reference, since a review does not always change the wording. When a page is built to change over time, add a retrieval line; when it is stable, omit it. If you need a refresher, see the date rules for web pages and the in-text citation basics.
Pick The Right Source Type
“Medically reviewed” appears across formats: blogs, news stories, general web pages, and journal articles. Choose the format that matches the source itself. The table below maps common cases to the author element you place in the reference.
| Source Type | Where “Reviewed By” Appears | Who You Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Web health article with a named author | Below the byline | The named author; reviewer omitted |
| Web page with no named author | Header or footer note | Group author (site or agency), or start with title |
| Peer-reviewed journal article | Journal workflow | Article authors; peer review is implicit |
| News story with medical review | Endnote on the page | Story author; reviewer omitted |
| Clinic or hospital resource page | Side panel | Organization as author |
In-text citations use the author-date system. A parenthetical version looks like this: (Harris, 2024). A narrative form looks like this: Harris (2024) explains … If a page lacks numbers, point readers to a section heading or a paragraph number when you quote.
APA Medically Reviewed Article Citation — Quick Patterns
Web Article With Author And Reviewer
Reference format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title in sentence case. Site Name. URL
Example: Nguyen, L. (2024, May 12). Foods that may ease migraine pain. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/migraine/migraine-diet
Even if the page says “Medically reviewed by J. Rivera, MD,” do not add Rivera to the reference unless the page lists that person as a coauthor. The reviewer vetted the content; the author wrote it.
Web Page With No Named Author
Reference format: Group Author. (Year, Month Day). Title in sentence case. URL
Example: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, March 10). Handwashing: Clean hands save lives. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/
If no group author appears and the site only shows a logo, start the entry with the title. When the group author and site name match, omit the site name after the title.
Web Page With “n.d.” And A Reviewer Stamp
Some pages have no date but show “Reviewed 2025.” Use n.d. for the date and exclude the review stamp in the reference. If the page later shows a precise update date, use that newer date. Add a retrieval line only when the content is designed to change and lacks a fixed version.
Journal Article In A Medical Journal
Journal pieces are peer-reviewed by default, so a “medically reviewed” label does not apply. Cite the authors, year, article title, journal title, volume(issue), pages, and DOI when present.
Example: Kim, H. J., & D’Souza, P. (2023). Nutrition patterns and migraine frequency. Journal of Neurology, 270(4), 1245–1256. https://doi.org/10.1000/j.jn.2023.00001
In-Text Citations That Fit Health Pages
Quoting a sentence from a long web article? Add a locator. If the page has section headings, point to one, e.g., (Nguyen, 2024, “Trigger foods” section). If it lacks headings, count paragraphs, e.g., (Nguyen, 2024, para. 5). For a group author, write the full name the first time and an accepted short form later if the name is long.
When several consecutive sentences draw on one web page, one citation near the start or end of the passage can be enough. If you switch to a new source, add a new citation at that point. That way readers can track each claim without guesswork.
Dates, Updates, And Retrieval Lines
Health sites show dates in different ways. Use the most exact publication or updated date on the page. Do not use the “last reviewed” label in the reference. Add a retrieval line only when a page is built to change and lacks an archived version, such as “Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://…”. Skip retrieval lines for most journal articles and stable web pages.
Edge Cases You’ll See On Health Sites
Authored By “Editorial Team”
If a site credits an “Editorial Team,” treat the site or the publisher as a group author if that team represents the organization. If the page lists individual editors but no writer, that still does not make the editors the authors. Use the group author or begin with the title.
Article With Only A Reviewer Named
Some pages show “Medically reviewed by …” and no writer. If the site’s masthead explains that staff produce unsigned content, treat the organization as the author. Cite the group author, not the reviewer. If authorship is unclear and no organizational author is stated, start with the title.
Different “Published” And “Updated” Lines
When both appear, pick the updated date, since it reflects the current version your reader will see. If a page shows only a year, use the year. If no date appears, use n.d. and consider a retrieval line.
Common Mistakes And Fixes
Adding The Reviewer As An Author
Leave the reviewer out of the reference unless the page credits that person as a coauthor. A reviewer validates content; the author creates it. You may note the review in your prose, but the entry itself should not change.
Using The Wrong Date
Pick the publication or updated date on the page, not the review date. Library guides caution writers to ignore “last reviewed” in the reference because a review date does not tell readers when the text changed.
Missing Author Or Site Name
Many resource pages have no byline. In that case, treat the organization as the author if it is responsible for the content. If authorship is unclear and the page looks unsigned, start the reference with the title, then add the site name if it differs from the group author.
Forgetting About DOIs
Health research often lives behind DOIs. When you cite a journal article, include the DOI in URL form when available. If the article lacks a DOI and you read the final version on the journal site, end the entry with a direct URL. Skip long database strings.
Decision Table For Tricky Web Pages
| Missing Piece | What To Do | Sample Entry Start |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Use group author or start with title | Title in sentence case. (2024, July 8). … |
| Date | Use n.d.; consider a retrieval line | Author, A. A. (n.d.). Title in sentence case. … |
| Site name | Omit when author and site name match | Agency Name. (2025, Jan 20). Title… … |
Worked Examples You Can Adapt
Health Website: Named Author, Medically Reviewed
Reference: Alvarez, M. (2025, February 2). How to read your lipid panel. HeartCare Daily. https://www.heartcaredaily.org/labs/lipids
In-text: (Alvarez, 2025) or Alvarez (2025)
Health Website: No Author, With Review Stamp
Reference: National Sleep Foundation. (n.d.). Insomnia treatments that work. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://www.thensf.org/insomnia/treatments
In-text: (National Sleep Foundation, n.d.)
Government Health Page: Group Author
Reference: U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2025, January 16). Acetaminophen: Safe use and dosing. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/acetaminophen
In-text: (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025)
Medical Journal Article
Reference: Patel, S., Romero, A., & Lang, E. (2022). Home blood pressure monitors in primary care. BMJ, 376, e067890. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-067890
In-text: (Patel et al., 2022)
Abbreviations, Capitals, And Punctuation
Use sentence case for web page and article titles; capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns. Capitalize journal titles and keep them in full. Use an ampersand inside parentheses and an “and” in narrative text for two authors. Use “et al.” in the in-text citation for three or more authors. When a source has a hyphenated first name or a diacritic, keep the spelling shown on the source page. Keep punctuation tight around parentheses and commas so entries read cleanly.
Template Snippets You Can Paste
Unsigned Health Page, With Changing Content
Author: Group or site. Date: n.d. Title: Sentence case. Site name if different. Retrieval: Add a retrieval date. URL: Direct link.
Example: American Heart Association. (n.d.). Understanding your blood pressure numbers. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://www.heart.org/bp-numbers
News Article With A Medical Review Line
Author: Individual byline. Date: Exact. Title: Sentence case. Outlet: News site. URL: Direct link.
Example: Reed, T. (2025, June 4). New RSV shots: Who needs them this season. The Daily Herald. https://www.dailyherald.com/health/rsv-shots
Formatting Tips For Your Reference List
Make Entries Easy To Scan
Alphabetize by the first author’s last name or by the first word of the title if no author appears. Use a hanging indent so the first line sits flush left and the rest of the entry indents. Keep capitalization to sentence case for page titles; capitalize journal titles and give them in full. Include issue numbers for journals that paginate each issue. Keep URLs clean and direct. When a DOI exists, present it as a link.
Match In-Text And Reference Entries
Every in-text callout needs a matching entry in the list. If you cite a web page with a group author, make sure the in-text form matches the first words of the reference. If you cite multiple pages from the same site, each unique page needs its own entry. For two authors, use an ampersand inside parentheses and “and” in narrative text.
Quick Checklist Before You Paste Your Reference
- Author present and spelled exactly as shown on the page?
- Date is the updated or published date, not the review stamp?
- Title in sentence case and italicized for web pages?
- Site name included when it differs from the author?
- Live URL or DOI added, clean and direct?
- In-text citation uses author-date, with a locator for quotes?