Medical writing: what does a medical writer do?

Do you have this image of a medical writer working on a project? Or someone sitting in a bland office, bleary eyed from looking at documents and at a computer screen? No image has the whole story, its true to say. Working in a medical writing environment is fast, fun and hugely enjoyable. Honest! But we don’t actually wear hats with net…

Medical writing is an exercise in creativity. Content generated within medicine, healthcare, and the life sciences needs to be as interesting, compelling and mesmerising as a blockbuster novel. Well, possibly not a bodice ripper or a political thriller but always fascinating and always respecting the people at the heart of all medical writing projects – the patients.

Medical writers play a crucial role in disseminating medical information to healthcare professionals, patients, regulatory authorities and the general public. Medical writing specialists need to blend their scientific knowledge, writing skills and communication skills to keep things fresh yet still accurate. Its also crucially  important to have an overview and understanding of the regulatory guidelines that represent good practice, particularly when writing for patients.

Medical writers work on a range of deliverables and they do have a lot of fun doing it. You might not think so when you consider the deliverables they work on but there is so much more that lies beyond these basic descriptions:

• Clinical trial documents: medical writers are involved in preparing essential documents for clinical trials, including:
  • Clinical study protocols: detailed plans outlining the objectives, design, methodology, and procedures of the clinical trial.
  • Informed consent forms (ICF): documents that provide study participants with information about the trial, its risks, benefits, and their rights.
  • Clinical study reports (CSR): comprehensive reports summarising clinical trial results, often required for regulatory submissions.
• Regulatory writing: medical writers contribute to regulatory submissions for new drugs, medical devices, and other healthcare products. They create a range of documents including:
  • Common technical documents (CTD): a standard format for submitting regulatory information.
  • Investigator’s brochure (IB): a comprehensive document summarising essential information about an investigational product for clinical trials.
  • Summary of product characteristics (SMPC): this provides detailed information about a marketed drug, including indications, dosages, and contraindications.
• Scientific publications: medical writers work closely with researchers and healthcare professionals on scientific articles for peer-reviewed journals, conference abstracts, and posters.
• Medical and scientific blogs: generating blog articles on a regular basis requires in-depth knowledge and research, but it is also time-consuming. Medical writers working on a freelance basis often assist in-house teams to meet regular tight deadlines and get the latest information ready for daily publication.
• Medical communications: medical writers working within medical communication agencies create educational materials and content for healthcare professionals, patients, pharmaceutical representatives and the general public. Just a few examples include:
  • Detail aids: a medical writer will work with a pharmaceutical company to produce a concise document outlining the characteristics of a drug
  • Slide decks: presentations used in medical conferences, educational events and internal meetings.
  • Patient education materials: materials that explain medical conditions, treatments, and self-care to patients in simple, straightforward terms.
  • Advisory board reports: medical writers work with a small group of leading experts in a field of medicine to capture the latest good medical practice in that field.
• Medical marketing and advertising: medical writers craft promotional materials, such as brochures, websites, and direct-to-consumer advertisements, using careful evidence collection from peer-reviewed sources and extensive referencing to ensure that standards and guidelines are met.
• Medical education: creating content for continuing medical education (CME) programs and online medical courses to update healthcare professionals on the latest advancements and best practices.
• Healthcare policy and guidelines: medical writers help draft and develop healthcare policies, clinical practice guidelines, and consensus statements.
• Journalism and medical updates: medical journalists work with a range of journals and medical web portals, providing up-to-the-minute updates on the latest research on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
• SEO web content for healthcare websites: these are particularly valuable for private healthcare clinics, providers and individual consultants as the extra traffic brought to the site using natural search is an invaluable source of new contacts and new business enquiries.