Patient education accessibility - Volume 24, Issue

Patient education that overcomes literacy barriers supports quality care. This article provides an overview of health literacy, describes the concepts of readability and accessibility, and discusses how to empathise with the patient's experience and…

Speaking your patients’ language – Is it really worth it? The impact of translation on multilingual patient education materials - Volume 33, Issue

This article discusses the role of translation and its impact on the success of patient education materials, particularly in the context of patient recruitment and retention for clinical trials. We examine how translation and localisation help…

Package leaflets for medication in the EU: The possibility of integrating patients’ perspectives in a regulated genre? - Volume 24, Issue

Package leaflets (PLs) have been legally required to accompany medicines in the EU since 1999. Despite the best intentions and efforts, however, they are generally not well-received by the public for whom they are intended. This paper picks up on…

Creating educational materials about clinical research data for patients and the public: A multifaceted journey in the current digital age - Volume 33, Issue

With scientific advances during the COVID- 19 pandemic and expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) in research, there has been a simultaneous increase in misinformation about data collection, privacy, and sharing in clinical trials. This increase h…

Writing for Patients - Volume 29, Issue

The first thing we must say is a huge “thank you” to Dr Juan Garcia Burgos and Mr Paul Blake for taking the time in an unprecedentedly manic year for the EMA to write a foreword for this issue of Medical Writing. The fact that they have prioritised…

Writing for patients: When and how? - Volume 29, Issue

The move towards patient engagement and patient involvement in healthcare decisions (“shared care”) has triggered a raft of new guidances from regulatory authorities, accompanied by new regulations mandating that pharmaceutical companies engage with…

Medical Communications and Writing for Patients - Volume 30, Issue

Dear All,

As I write this, at least some of us are likely to still be in some form of lockdown or quarantine. I pray that you and your families are all managing to stay as sane as possible, and I sincerely hope that you all stay safe and healthy.

I…

Plain language summaries of clinical trial results: What is their role, and should patients and AI be involved? - Volume 33, Issue

Plain language summaries (PLSs) of clinical trial results are vital tools in the clinical development process for enhancing transparency and encouraging and facilitating patient engagement. The production of a PLS is now mandated in the EU for all…

Penning hope: The impact of medical writing for rare conditions - Volume 34, Issue

In this article, I explain my route into the world of rare conditions, my experience of working as a clinician, and my passion for raising awareness to all involved. I achieve this by providing education to healthcare professionals, patients, and…

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…