Early benefit assessment of new drugs: The impact on healthcare in Germany - Volume 30, Issue

The early benefit assessment of new drugs was introduced in Germany in 2011. The main rationale was to support pricing negotiations between the statutory health insurance (SHI) system and the pharmaceutical industry. The early benefit assessment…

President’s Message - Volume 25, Issue

Dear EMWA Members, It is my very great pleasure to ‘speak’ to you from the pages of the very first issue of Medical Writing of 2016, with our new printer, Hastings. I am particularly excited that our feature articles are now open-access – a…

Medical writing in paediatrics: Children and the future - Volume 21, Issue

‘Children are one-third of our population and all of our future.’ Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981 With the falling birth rate I wonder if they still are a third of the population, but there is no doubt that they are our…

Writing for lay audiences - Volume 24, Issue

For most of us, medical writing is highly technical. We prepare regulatory or clinical documents or write materials targeted to medical doctors. Medical writing for lay audiences is different, and it does not come naturally to most of us because…

About the Medical Writing Journal - Volume 21, Issue

The official journal of the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) has changed its name from The Write Stuff to Medical Writing, which is being published by Maney Publishing. This marks a leap forward for the journal, which is now in its 19th…

Regulatory writing basics - Volume 23, Issue

The role of a regulatory writer is to produce regulatory documents (usually taken to refer to documents that are submitted in some form to the health authorities). These documents should adhere to the relevant guidance and be fit for purpose, meani…

Plain language and readability - Volume 24, Issue

Plain language is writing in clear, concise language that is easy to read and understand. Whenever I hear the term plain language I am reminded of a lay summary I was once asked to edit. The stream of technical language (‘self-source bias’, ‘effect m…

EMWA news - Volume 21, Issue

News from the EMWA Website Manager   New role At the recent EMWA conference held in Cyprus, I assumed the position of EMWA Website Manager. While this is a daunting task, it is a challenge I am pleased to take on. To ensure that I was in a…

Out On Our Own - Volume 24, Issue

Editorial

All of us are aware by now that we can't live without technology and not only at work. With advice, aids, appliances and apps in abundance, we are at the point where we can't see the wood for the trees. Thank goodness we have advice from M…

Reporting health economic evaluations: CHEERS and beyond - Volume 30, Issue

Health economic evaluations are relevant to those making healthcare resource allocation decisions, such as listing a new drug on the national formulary or launching a new vaccination programme. Compared with clinical studies that report only the…