Medical writers need to meet a few critical criteria before they publish their work.
First and foremost, people want to see accuracy and explicit knowledge of the field when they’re seeking out medical advice online. They want to feel like they’re speaking to their doctor, which can be difficult when your job is to generalize to a broad audience.
72% of Americans have used the internet to get advice on a wide variety of medical issues, making medical writers the first source of information for many people.
Most medical writers adhere to one of two fields of publication: science or marketing. Scientific medical writing consolidates medical studies and drug trials to make them more palatable to the everyday consumer.
This work might include new information on diabetes medication or exciting results from studying heart disease causes. For the most part, writers want to take the pages of data from these studies and turn them into concise summaries, providing the right amount of detail and medical jargon that can still be digested by just about anyone.
Marketing takes a different approach: it’s geared to an even wider audience to discuss new findings and other drug releases. Whichever type of medical writing services you’re looking for, quality is essential. We’ve outlined a few reasons why your content should adhere to a higher standard. Keep reading to learn more.
1. Pull your information from the source
As a medical writer, you want your readers to trust you and return for more information in the future. That’s why accuracy is so important and one of our top medical writing tips. The more you can directly reference your scientific source, the better. If your writing is inconsistent with other articles on the same topic, how are your readers expected to trust you? If you can cite the source, you’re on the right track.
2. Provide the opinions of medical doctors and researchers
If you aren’t a medical doctor, it can’t hurt to interview one for your writing. Including quotes and opinions from a qualified medical professional, especially one with experience in the specified field can be a great addition to your writing. Plus, it can be an excellent resource in better understanding a complex or unfamiliar study.
Again, readers want to feel confident that the source of their medical advice is knowledgeable, so providing quotes from a doctor can really help you as a writer.
3. Double-check your writing guidelines before you start
Medical writing mistakes often happen when writers don’t follow the required medical community guidelines that are put in place to safeguard the consumer. Deliverables must meet ICH, GLPs, and GCPs guidelines before being posted online.
It’s never a bad idea to refresh your memory before you begin writing, especially if it’s an unfamiliar topic. As a writer, you must be ethical with marketing information and provide an unbiased opinion.
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: be a trustworthy source of information, and people will seek you out.
4. Try to include new information
If you’re able to look at other writing samples before posting your own, try to skim a few different articles about your topic. High-quality medical writing will include a piece of information or viewpoint that maybe hasn’t been mentioned yet.
Of course, you’ll want to stay within the confines of your study or field in question, but a bit of background information or useful facts from another similar study can’t hurt. If you’re able to point things out in your comprehensive clinical study report that hasn’t gotten much coverage on other medical writing sites, include it. It might end up being the exact piece of information someone needed.
High-quality writing is thorough but concise.
5. Remember your audience
Your audience matters, and it should change the way you write.
Scientific articles meant for a medical community should include technical terms and reference pieces of information that doctors would understand. You can spend less time explaining the basics and more time delving deep into the details of a risk/benefit analysis of a new drug or treatment.
For marketing articles geared more toward the patient, remember that they probably don’t have the medical know-how you do. This is where the concept of “thorough but concise” comes into play; you want to provide as much background as needed without drowning out the point. Providing an internal link to a related topic is a great way to point people in the right direction if they need background info.
Medical writing can be precious to people in need of information, so it’s essential to have high-quality content.
Whether you’re a writer or a business in need of medical content writing, you should always focus on providing the best version of any topic. If you’re interested in medical writing services that can help your business, contact ProPharma is here to help.
