Best Practices for Writing CME Needs Assessments

By Donald Harting, MA, MS, ELS, CHCP, President, Harting Communications LLC, Downingtown, PA, and Ruwaida Vakil, MSc, Principal, ProMed Write LLC, Somerset NJ

A needs assessment (NA) is any passage of text that documents the need for instruction on a particular topic among physicians and other health care professionals. This NA may also be called a gap analysis. Normally the NA is just one part of a larger document, often called a CME grant proposal. Typically this larger document will also include sections on budget, audience generation, and outcomes analysis (Figure 1). A proposal for an accredited activity will also contain some indication of how many continuing education credits may be awarded and information about the organization awarding credit. These additional sections are NOT included in this blog.

Self-Care for Writers: Wellness Tips to Avoid Burnout

Are you taking time for self-care?

Medical communicators need to take care of their minds, bodies, and souls to avoid burnout and health issues.

Do I Need Permission? Understanding “Fair Use” in Medical Communication

Copyright law is complicated, and we’re not legal experts.

However, one of the most important aspects of copyright law as it pertains to medical communicators is called “fair use.”

In general, copyright protects the intellectual property of creators like artists and authors, but there is an important exception made when material is used for educational purposes or for other reasons that distinguish it from a profit-generating use.

Medical Sales Training and Beyond

Product training—or medical sales training—is an essential ingredient in bringing new medical devices and pharmaceutical products to market.

Pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies spend enormous amounts of time and money implementing medical sales training when launching new products or when products are approved for new indications. Creating medical sales training materials is a growing opportunity for medical communicators who can leverage their skills and experience to help bring better products to healthcare providers and patients.

5 Steps to Defining Your Role as a Medical Writer

Those in the medical writing and editing field know that job responsibilities vary widely. 

Regardless of the job description, medical communicators have unique scientific and professional skill sets that can be used in a multitude of ways. However, medical communicators sometimes find themselves in situations where they are expected to do more than is possible. Perhaps a colleague or client expects a level of support that is beyond the scope of the medical writer’s job description.

Right and Wrong: Medical Communication Ethics

Ethical behavior is important in any profession.