Industry Insights: MedComms
In this week’s round of insights in #MedComms, we discuss three articles from the latest edition of Medical Writing, a journal series published by the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA). This edition focuses on communicating with the public as a medical writer.
Writing in plain language for the SSCP
With the implementation of the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR 2017/745), manufacturers must submit a Summary of Safety and Clinical Performance (SSCP) to communicate the safety and effectiveness of their devices. The SSCP has two target audiences: healthcare professionals and patients. In her article, Katharina Friedrich discusses how to make the patient-targeted sections of the SSCP readable, informative and accessible. She outlines common challenges that medical writers face, such as translating risk-benefit profiles into patient-friendly content, and provides strategies for aligning with plain language principles.
Making medical communication accessible to all
Ana Sofia Correia’s article reflects on the importance of translation as a tool for improving the accessibility of healthcare communications. She highlights the often-overlooked role of translators in promoting patient safety and equity. The article presents a translation strategy that aims to balance precision with cultural appropriateness, thus ensuring that translated medical content remains faithful and accessible. Correia, a medical writer and translator herself, encourages writers and translators to collaborate closely, arguing that translation is not just a linguistic exercise but a critical component of patient engagement.
Using landing pages for patient enrolment in clinical trials
Patient recruitment is a persistent challenge in clinical research. In their piece, Ekaterina Bulaeva and Amalia Iljasova propose a practical solution: patient-centric landing pages. The article outlines how well-designed landing pages containing clear, accessible language and an intuitive structure can considerably improve trial awareness and participant enrolment. The authors emphasise the importance of aligning landing pages with patient engagement strategies. When used effectively, landing pages not only support recruitment but also promote transparency and trust between researchers and potential participants.
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