Plain Language and Readability - Volume 24, Issue

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…

Making leaflets clearer for patients - Volume 24, Issue

This article examines the clarity of several health information leaflets issued to the public in Europe. It finds that some of the language is quirky, ambiguous, and confusing. In one leaflet, the size of type is too small for easy reading, even by…

Writing visually for medical writers - Volume 21, Issue

Although content is obviously important for effective documents, the look of a document is also important. If you want someone to read a document, it should be pleasant to look at, and if you want the document to be used, the information should be…

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…

Medicines information for patients: Insights into research and practice for medical writers - Volume 21, Issue

Many people do not take their medicines as prescribed, and medicines can cause harm if not used appropriately. In addition, in most health systems there is increasing discussion about involving patients in decisions about their health – including…

Can access and accessibility rebuild public trust in research? - Volume 31, Issue

Trust is built gradually, and it is easily threatened, particularly in relation to pharmaceutical research. The potential for open access publishing and plain language summaries to contribute to improved trust in pharmaceutical research was…

Career shift: Employment to freelancing - Volume 28, Issue

There are often social stereotypes and mental barriers associated with a decision to be a freelancer. For me, flexibility and autonomy are the main values for choosing the path of freelancing; however, high standards and work ethics must be…

Enhancing accessibility of study data: The development of a graphical abstract for lay summaries of clinical trial results - Volume 29, Issue

We describe the development of a graphical abstract for lay summaries of clinical trial results. The new graphical summary serves the same purpose for a lay summary as an abstract does for a scientific publication. Lay summaries are intended to…

Writing reports of modelling and simulation analysis: Our experience in the field of pharmacometrics - Volume 32, Issue

Pharmacometric analyses generate mathematical models that can describe and simulate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs. The role of these modelling and simulation (M&S) analyses is growing both in drug development and regulatory…