Medical Content Writing – What’s the Big Deal

One of our previous blogs spoke about medical writing being an umbrella term that covers a few more nuanced topics. In this blog, we’re going to look at medical writing as a mighty corporation and speak about its research department – medical content writing.

The focus of medical content writing is geared toward educating and informing readers.1,2 

The language of relaying medical information uses the highest level of technical science. This fact automatically ensures that individuals who are not well-versed in understanding it (untrained individuals) will get lost when consuming information in this form. 

This is where medical content writers come in. 

Their job is to ensure that the technically complex language of science is clearly and simply communicated so that when it arrives in front of the untrained individual, they don’t get lost. In fact, the ultimate goal of the medical content writer is the opposite of this: that the untrained individual understands the medical information at the same level as scientists who’ve been in the field for decades.

The process of educating and informing untrained individuals, specifically without the intent of selling the medical product or service, has a few steps. They aren’t very complex, but to be effective, they should be concisely adhered to.

1. The medical content writer consumes the technically complex medical information. The medical content writer should have an informal conversation with untrained individuals about the topic and thereafter assess whether or not they grasp the concept(s) by asking probing questions on the topic.

This optional step of having the untrained individuals explain the topic back to the medical content writer will assist in the identification of which areas are well-understood, which are moderately understood, and which require further simplification to be better understood.

1. The medical content writer uses the data obtained in the latter half of the previous step to refine and adjust their explanation of the technical medical information.

Given that the latter half of the previous step is optional; should this step not be taken, the process will automatically move to step 3.

1. A focus on the writing itself is actioned and the medical content is reviewed for the purpose of ensuring that the writing is geared toward education. 

A secondary review is done in this step to specifically ensure that any sales-messaging is absent from the medical content – this is essential because medical content writing is meant solely to inform and educate the end consumer, not to sell a medical product or service.

1. The medical content writer processes any changes that need to be made and ensures that the message set to be communicated in the original body of technical medical information is still being communicated in the simplified and engaging version.
2. A final review is done by the client for whom the medical content is being written for. Subject to their approval, the job is done.

This may sound like a job that can be done by anyone who knows how to write well. But speaking from experience, that’s simply not true. As independent and simultaneously connected a research department is to a corporation, so too is medical content writing – it is niche, and to be effective requires a deep understanding of the healthcare industry, a high level of dedication, and excellent communication skills.2 

As the healthcare industry continues to grow in size and complexity, so too does the need for effective medical content writers – this is especially true as patients and the general public (those who are technically untrained individuals) become more empowered in being active agents of their own health.3 Medical content writers can be the bridge between the accurate and available technical medical information that exists, and the need for reliable and understandable medical information.

References:

1. Peters P. Medical Copywriter Job Description. Betterteam. [Online]. 2021. Available at: https://www.betterteam.com/medical-copywriter-job-description#:~:text=A%20medical%20copywriter%20researches%20medical,skills%20to%20optimize%20search%20results
2. Asghar Khan K. Medical Copywriter Vs. Medical Content Writer: What’s the Difference. Akasious. [Online]. 2024. Available at: https://akasious.com/medical-copywriter-vs-medical-content-writer/#:~:text=A%20medical%20copywriter%20focuses%20on,readers%20on%20various%20healthcare%20topics

Ali N. What Is Medical Copywriting And Why Is It On The Rise? Fox54 News Now. [Online]. 2022. Available at: https://www.wfxg.com/story/47737675/what-is-medical-copywriting-and-why-is-it-on-the-rise