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Hum 545: Introduction to Medical Writing

Catalog description:
This course introduces essential concepts for writing in pharmaceutical houses, medical
advertising agencies, and other medical settings. Topics covered include basic medical
terminology, appropriate AMA style, and form and format in the use of professional
research; preparation of meeting and conference materials for professionals in the field,
and working with physicians. Students will practice with short weekly writing
assignments, terminology quizzes and with an oral presentation. The course will include
a final project, the development of a sample "Conference Packet."

Suggested Prerequisite: Foundations of Technical Communications.

Grading based on: written and oral assignments, full participation electronically and in
class.

Web and Internet: there is a WebCT component to the class. Course description and
assignments will be posted and links will be provided. Templates and other supplemental
materials will also be posted. A bulletin board will be maintained and, though the course
meets only weekly, the instructor will be available throughout the week via email. It is
possible to research much medical information on the internet, but library research is also
required.

Suggested Textbooks:

Drake, Ellen. Saunders Pharmaceutical Word Book, 2001. W.B. Saunders. Co., 2001.

Iverson, Cheryl, ed. American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for
Authors and Editors. 9th Edition. Chicago: Williams & Wilkins, 1998.

Smith, Genevieve Love. Quick Medical Terminology (Wiley Self-Teaching Guides). 3rd
ed. New York: Wiley, 1992.

Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Stedman's Medical Dictionary. 27th edition Philadelphia:

Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2000.

Faculty Coordinator: Deborah Sinnreich-Levi

Faculty to teach course: Bronwyn Mills

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Syllabus:

Week 1: What is medical writing? What are its professional applications?

Fundamentals of good medical writing rest upon a foundation of good general
writing, and learnable skills. Information and promotion. Handout: Sources for
Researching Medical Information. HW: Choose an article on a medical subject
from a lay publication, research the subject, and write a review of the article.

Week 2: Audience. Medical writing for the general public. Getting the information
Handout: Interviewing techniques. HW: please complete "Unit 1" in Quick
Medical Terminology, including the self-test. Locate and interview a specialist or
researcher in a medical field about his/her work on a particular condition or
disease. Write up your interview -- 800 word limit.

Week 3: Patient Information. The Brochure. A word about the PDR (Physicians' Desk
Reference). Visiting lecturer. HW: Complete " Unit 2" in Quick Medical
Terminology, including the self- test, then visit the online site for a brochure
template. For a patient being treated for the condition you have described, please
develop a brief text entitled, "How to take your medication" – with a bulleted list.
This should include precautions, counter- indications, and what to do if you
experience atypical reactions. Read the PDR on your drug! Write out your text
and pull out items for bulleting BEFORE entering it into the template.

Week 4: Review HW 1 . The Case Study. Uses of the case study; "in - house" and "out of
house". Confidentiality and ethical issues in the use of case studies. Medical
records; S.O.A.P.2 Handout. "The Medical Record." HW: Complete " Unit 3" in
Quick Medical Terminology, including the self-test. From sample "medical
records" the student will be asked to write a brief case summary. (250-500 words)

Week 5: The Case Study (continued) Symptomatology. Parameters of disease

processes. Handout "Documentation and the Uses of the Case Study." HW:
Continue in Quick Medical Terminology, Unit 4 & self-test. Use a case study to
introduce an article on a disease and its sufferers for "The Manager", an in- house
professional journal for hospital administrators (one page)

Week 6: Medical Terminology quiz. The Clinical Trial. Handout "How to read a clinical
study." HW: continue in Quick Medical Terminology, Unit 5 & self-test.
Find a recent report of drug therapy in a respectable news media source and look
up the clinical report on the therapy in the professio nal journal cited. Write a
summary report about clinical intervention and its parameters in the treatment of
this disease, using the new drug in question (250-500 words).

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This will be standard procedure, as each assignment is positioned to utilize information garnered in the
class it was assigned AND to lead into the subject which follows.
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This is the standard method of entering information in a patient's medical record: S=subjective;
O=Objective; A=Assessment; P=Physician's recommendation.
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Week 7: Clinical Trials (continued). Research and regulatory considerations.

Ethical issues. Handout: "Beyond the company library-- more sources for medical
information." HW: continue in Quick Medical Terminology, Unit 6 & self-test.
Write a report , "Issues in therapeutic intervention for _____ (name of disease or
condition) _____ using _____ (Brand X) _____." Include at least three clinical
trials in the report. (500 words)

Week 8: Mid-course exam: case studies and clinical trials. Introduction to The
Pharmaceutical Conference. Information or Promotion? Handout: Writing the
Abstract. HW: continue in Quick Medical Terminology, Unit 7 & self-test.
Research information on a new drug used to treat depression among the elderly.
Then find a clinical trial of a drug used to treat osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis, or depression and write an abstract of that clinical report
(250 words). Please remember to refer to your American Medical Association
Manual of Style throughout this part of the course.

Week 9: The Pharmaceutical Conference (continued). The FDA and the use of clinical
trials in the pharmaceutical industry. Professional ethics. HW: continue in Quick
Medical Terminology, Unit 8 & self-test. Your [pharmaceutical] company is
having a conference in which physicians have agreed to promote the use of
(Brand X) in treating the osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or
depression. Dr. Jones, one of the physicians, needs you to prepare a summary of
the key issues involved for treating (one of these) from a pro-view; a con- view.
Remember to save any graphs and charts you encounter in your research. One
page each.

Week 10: The Pharmaceutical Conference (continued). "The Promotion Lecture."

Adding Slides, charts, graphs. Slide presentations. (Guest lecturer) Handouts.
HW: continue in Quick Medical Terminology, Unit 9 & self-test. Write the first
draft of a promotion lecture based on your issue summary of the past week. Note
where you want to include slides, charts, tables, and/or graphs (no need to fill in
yet).

Week 10: Terminology quiz. The Promotional Lecture. Proofreading. Graph and chart
placement. American Medical Association Manual of Style and Stedman's
Medical Dictionary in hand, you will divide into teams and critique each others'
work. (You may also want to bring along Saunders Pharmaceutical Word Book.)
Note slide placement but not text. HW: Rewrite your promotional lecture.
Please make a copy of your draft to keep while the instructor reviews your work.
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Week 11: Filling out the Conference Packet. What else? The Conference Poster.
Letters. Review articles and copies of key clinical trials. What won't be
included. Hand in copies of lecture with slide text entered for the instructor to
review. HW: Go to the online site and find the "Conference Poster" template.
Download and fill in the appropriate blanks. An 8.5 X 11" version will go in your
packet. Develop an invitational letter for your conference. Be sure you make two
copies of each of these. HW: Develop text for slides on a copy of your draft.
Enter into your copy.

Review and enter corrections (if any) of your lecture.

Week 12: Assembling the Conference Packet. Review of slide texts by team. Team
review of poster and letter, then turn in all these materials for Professor's review.
The table of contents. HW: Please review online material on permissions,
copyrights, and effective editing. Check over your promotional lecture for these.
Be sure that your T.O.C. follows class guidelines.

You will write a short paper introducing your work and your process. (250
words) While we will discuss in class, your "process paper" will be turned in to
guide the professor through your work WITH the rest of the packet. 3

A word about House Rules and Medical Editing.

Week 13: Final Exam.

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On the day before exam in that 12th week, all packet materials returned for final team review and
assembly.