Editorial policy

This page documents how HHZ Respiratory Review handles scoring, loaner units, manufacturer outreach, and corrections. The full scoring rubric — published before it is applied, run uniformly across every device in a category — sits on the methodology page. If anything on the site appears to contradict the policy below, email editor@homehealthzone.com and we will correct it.

How scoring works

• One rubric per category, published in advance. Every oxygen concentrator is scored against the same weighted axes; every CPAP and BiPAP is scored against its own category rubric. The weights are visible on the methodology page before any score is awarded. We do not maintain a separate scoring system for any manufacturer.
• The rubric is the authority. If a published score appears inconsistent with what the rubric implies for a given spec set, the rubric wins and we will correct the score. Readers can challenge a score by emailing the editorial address with a specific rubric-vs-score discrepancy.
• No paid placement. No manufacturer, distributor, or retailer pays to appear on a review, buyer's guide, or comparison page. Ranked lists are not sponsored. "Best of" awards are not sold.
• No affiliate or revenue-share deals with the manufacturers we cover. If this ever changes, the relationship and the revenue model will be disclosed in plain text at the top of every affected page.

How we handle manufacturer outreach

Manufacturers and distributors routinely pitch their products for coverage. Our policy:

• We respond to all reasonable outreach, but coverage decisions are made on editorial merit — category relevance, model-year significance, reader questions we are already being asked — not on who asked first or loudest.
• Loaners are destructively tested and do not come back in working condition. When we accept a production-sample unit, it goes through our destructive-test protocol: sieve-bed zeolite analysis, solenoid-valve teardown, enclosure material identification (FTIR), oxygen-purity-sensor validation, voltage-stress testing to the edges of Indian mains tolerance, compressor and blower teardown, and power-supply inspection as applicable. Manufacturers agree to this in writing before a unit ships; any loan offered on a "return in working condition" basis is declined. This is the protocol that lets us publish teardown findings rather than paper-spec restatements — and it is why HHZ's review cadence is slower than sites that recycle review samples. Any loaner-backed review discloses the loan at the top of the article.
• We will not sign NDAs that would prevent us from publishing observed facts, including teardown findings, zeolite-analysis results, or material-identification outcomes.
• We correct factual errors promptly on receipt of evidence. We do not soften verdicts on request, and we do not withdraw teardown findings because a manufacturer disputes the implication.

The rubric

Every device in a category is scored against the same weighted rubric. Weights are published on the methodology page. Category summaries:

Oxygen concentrators

• Purity at rated flow — 25%
• Sound at 1 m — 15%
• Build quality and service network — 20%
• Warranty terms (length, exclusions, voltage coverage) — 15%
• Price-to-performance — 25%

CPAP and BiPAP

• Pressure accuracy — 25%
• Leak compensation — 15%
• Noise at patient-ear position — 15%
• Mask and humidifier ecosystem — 15%
• Warranty and service — 15%
• Price-to-performance — 15%

Stars on a review map directly to the weighted score. A 4.2-star review means the device scored 84 out of 100 against its category rubric. We do not award participation points for being new to the market or for aggressive pricing alone — price-to-performance only rewards pricing that is justified by measured performance.

Corrections and retractions

Our correction policy is separate and covers the mechanics of how errors are fixed and logged: see Corrections. In brief: every correction is timestamped, the original wording is preserved in a changelog on the affected article, and readers can submit a correction to corrections@homehealthzone.com.

Questions about editorial policy go to editor@homehealthzone.com.