Ranking and Sponsorship Policy
How providers are ordered on ChinaMedMap, how paid relationships are disclosed, and what money can never buy.
How lists are ordered
Unpaid hospital listings are ordered alphabetically unless the page says otherwise. Paid featured placements appear in a separate block that is clearly labelled Sponsored; they are never mixed into the alphabetical list. We do not publish “best hospital” rankings. Patient ratings and reviews appear on provider profiles after moderation; they do not change the order of any list.
Commercial relationships
ChinaMedMap may enter commercial relationships with providers. When one exists, the provider’s profile states it, using one of two labels:
- Partner Provider — a commercial relationship exists, for example for handling international patient inquiries.
- Sponsored — a featured placement or exposure is paid for, for example a featured position on a city page. Sponsored placements are shown separately from unpaid listings and labelled, and paid outbound links are marked as sponsored.
What payment never changes
- A verification label.
- Medical content or sourced facts.
- Removal of accurate information.
- A claim that a provider is clinically better than another.
Patient reviews and ratings
A registered patient who has verified their email can leave one rating and review per provider. Reviews are published after moderation, under the patient’s chosen display name. A provider cannot pay to add, remove or edit a review. Reviews are shown on the provider’s profile only; they are not used to order lists, and they never change a verification label. Anyone can report a review that breaks the rules from the profile page.
Matching
When you ask us for help, we suggest providers based on your stated need, location preference and what providers have confirmed they can do. If a suggested provider has a commercial relationship with us, we tell you.
Current status
Where a commercial relationship exists, the provider’s profile and any featured placement say so.