Medical writing

Evidence-based medical writing

Medical writing is a specialist type of writing that includes reporting on current scientific research, creating educational content, producing clinical guidelines, interviewing specialists and generating promotional material for pharmaceutical companies.

Health writing, on the other hand, is aimed at the general public and involves diet, exercise, weight control and both physical and mental wellbeing.

Good medical writing and health writing is evidence-based, which means the content is based on scientific evidence. It is this evidence that forms the basis for decision-making in medical practice.

Medical literature is generated continuously, through papers and journals, and medical writers source this literature, along with any associated research, and translate its complex concepts into any easy-to-ready format for the general public, or other medical practitioners.

Medical writing

I’ve been writing medical content since 2012, and have published hundreds of articles in publications of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS).

My writing focuses on specific medical topics or it profiles the practice of GPs, and the specialities and sub-specialities of surgeons.

I often work with these medical professionals to produce writing about their medical practice, or an event of interest to the wider medical community.

Health writing

I’ve covered all areas of health, wellbeing, diet, exercise and mental health in my writing for Australian medical colleges.

While my regular readership includes doctors, surgeons and other medical professionals, I have also written regularly for patients via a popular magazine published by the RACGP.

An important component of health writing is expertise in translating complex medical research into interesting, easy to read content. So too is the requirement to report on the limitations of particular studies and portray results accurately.

Professional membership

As a member of the Australian Medical Writers Association (AMWA), I belong to a community of professional medical writers.

I’m also a member of the Australasian Health and Medical Journal Editors’ Network, which is a subgroup of the AMWA.

Medical editing

With academic qualifications in editing from The University of Melbourne, and more than a decade working in senior editorial roles, I’m well-qualified to edit your content.

I’ve worked in-house as editor of medical magazines and professional development material for GPs.

More recently, I’ve edited online postgraduate nursing courses for Australian universities and clinical submissions for national and international medical journals.

I’m also a member of the Institute of Professional Editors.