In the past few years, the demand for medical writing has risen dramatically. There are more research studies being conducted, more scientific articles being published, and more new medicines and medical devices being developed today than ever before. And there’s the internet, a powerful medium that creates the needs for medical web content. In this post, we sum up (almost) everything you need to know about medical writing.
First thing first – what is medical writing?
Medical writing, as you may have guessed, involves creating content for healthcare websites or health-related magazines. But that’s not all. It also entails writing scientific documents (e.g. research or regulatory-related documents), publication articles (like journal manuscripts and abstracts), as well as drug- or disease-related educational literature. Medical writing generally does not involve original research, but rather the presentation of the information and data generated by scientists or practitioners. In science, accurate medical writing is of paramount importance – if poorly presented, an otherwise meticulous piece of research can appear flawed.
Is medical writing same as medical transcription?
Not quite. Medical transcription specifically refers to the process of converting voice-recorded reports (as dictated by doctors or other healthcare professionals) into text. Medical writing, on the other hand, involves the written communication of scientific & clinical information in an array of formats.
What’s important in medical writing?
Good medical writing requires an understanding of the medical terminology & concepts, familiarity with searching medical literature, knowledge of relevant guidelines (as regards the contents & structure of specific documents) and above all, good writing skills. A critical-yet-often-overlooked aspect of medical writing is to know the target audience. The scientific information should be presented to suit the level of understanding of the intended audience (namely, practitioners, patients or the regulators). When writing science for the general public, it is important to distill complex ideas & information into easy-to-follow, digestible bits. Remember, the average reader without scientific background may not able to understand an article full of jargon, so it’s best to keep things simple.
Who needs medical writing?
The scope of medical writing is tremendous and growing. There are many establishments who require medical writing, such as:
- Pharmaceutical product companies (including medical device companies)
- Healthcare providers and institutions (e.g. hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres, academic medical institutions, allied healthcare facilities)
- Biotech and life science companies
- Healthcare websites
- Scientific content and healthcare communication companies
- Media and publishing companies
- Medical insurance providers
- Medical journals
- Scientific/medical societies
What sets Cerebellar’s writing team apart from other writing service companies?
Our writing team consists of a mix of scientifically- & medically-inclined individuals who are experienced in digital marketing. This allows us to create medical content that is highly engaging and factually accurate. Cerebellar delivers cost-effective solutions that help your business grow. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
