9 Tips for New Managers in Medical Communication

For some medical writers, a next step in their careers is a move to management. While this can create opportunities for advancement and greater recognition, it can be challenging—many medical writers are seasoned communicators, but they may not yet have the skills required to manage others.

To make a successful transition, these tips for new managers can help.

Six Steps to Writing Health Content That Moves People

This article is based on content presented by Debbie Dakins and  Colleen Cronin, at the AMWA Medical Writing & Communication Conference. It was originally published in the AMWA Journal.

You’ve heard the phrase “Put words into action”? Well that, my friends, is what I’m going to attempt to do here. In this recap of the 2016 AMWA conference presentation “Six Steps to Writing Content That Moves People,” I will try to apply what I learned from Debbie Dakins and Colleen Cronin’s tips to help writers create informational materials for the general public that can inspire and motivate people to make changes to improve their health and wellbeing.

The Medical Writer’s Role in Promoting Shared Decision Making

This article is based on content presented by Kathi Whitman, MA, at the AMWA Medical Writing & Communication Conference. It was originally published in the AMWA Journal.

Imagine your loved one has been newly diagnosed with a chronic disease such as end-stage renal disease, breast cancer, or obstructive sleep apnea. Owing to the stressful diagnosis, your loved one may have trouble taking in new information and choosing among numerous treatment options within a limited time. Can your medical writing skills help this difficult process?

Best Practices in Writing Test Items

This article is based on content presented by Lori L. Alexander, MTPW, ELS, MWC, at the AMWA Medical Writing & Communication Conference. It was originally published in the AMWA Journal.

Continuing medical education credits are often awarded based on answers to test questions, so it is essential that the questions be designed well.

Research shows, however, that “almost half of all test items have flaws,” said veteran continuing medical education writer and editor Lori Alexander. This problem is driving the need to develop better test items and is creating job opportunities for medical writers and editors. In this open session, she explained how to write test items using guidelines and best practices from the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Quality Control Review of Safety Narratives: Beyond Checking the Data

This article is based on content presented by Kent Steinriede, MS, at the AMWA Medical Writing & Communication Conference. It was originally published in the AMWA Journal.

“Find out what the story is,” Kent Steinriede stressed throughout his session about the quality control (QC) review of safety narratives. Steinriede highlighted the elements of the safety narrative, source documents and tools used in QC review, and tips for best QC work.

How to Keep a Steady Stream of Jobs as a Freelance Medical Writer

Freelance medical writers tend to develop a roster of trusted clients that they work for consistently. When clients find someone who is reliable, knows their business, and produces high-quality work, they'll stick with them.

But even the busiest and most successful medical writers need to cultivate new business constantly. There are steps you can take to identify new freelance medical writer jobs that are a good fit for you, while keeping up with your current workload.