Industry Insights MedComms: 23/03/25
This week’s medical communications post focuses on three of the latest insights in MedComms.
The role of enhanced publication content (EPC) in engagement with publications
In the latest article published in the MAP Newsletter of the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP), field experts discussed the role of enhanced publication content (EPC) in increasing healthcare professional engagement in scientific publications. EPCs represent tools for summarising and simplifying health content, such as plain language summaries, graphical abstracts, video summaries, and podcasts. According to a 2024 survey, 38.8% of healthcare professionals (HCPs) reported that ECPs encouraged them to engage with publications. The experts emphasised that ECPs should be accessible, tailored, and impactful to improve HCP knowledge of patient care.
How can writers recognise and avoid predatory journals?
The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) has updated its guidance on detecting predatory journals—a growing issue in publishing. To complement the guidance, Professor Christine Laine and colleagues published an editorial with advice on good practices regarding journal selection. Predatory journals use various tricks to appear legitimate, such as using similar names to established journals, using faked editorial boards, or fabricating indexing and citation records. The ICMJE recommends remaining wary of the typical behaviours of predatory journals as well as referring to the ThinkCheckSubmit checklist of features associated with trusted journals.
The ongoing evolution of scientific posters
In a recent episode of In Plain Cite, a podcast series published by the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP), speakers explored the evolution of scientific posters. Doreen Valentine, a #MedComms professional affiliated with Bristol Myers Squibb, emphasises the importance of transforming complex scientific information into a clear and concise message. The speakers discuss how plain language summaries, QR codes, iconography, interactive posters, and augmented reality are challenging the concept of a traditional scientific poster. These innovations aim to make scientific data more accessible to a broader audience while adhering to scientific standards.
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