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6 ways your medical manuscript could benefit from medical writing support

From single-patient case reports to large multi-centre clinical trials, publishing peer-reviewed manuscripts in scientific journals remains the cornerstone of the scientific process, disseminating novel medical knowledge to the wider medical community to improve global clinical practice. 

However, while most clinicians and scientists understand the need to publish their research, approximately half of all medical and health-related research goes unpublished. (1) While lack of time to write or submit manuscripts is cited as the main reason for not publishing, two other factors include language barriers, lack of awareness of current reporting guidelines and publication practices, and inadequate medical writing expertise. (2-3) For those who have the time to write, these factors may also result in poorer quality of writing, leading to higher rejection submission rates. 

" [Manuscripts] are easy to write badly but require skill and knowledge to write well. A quick scan of any journal will quickly (and depressingly!) reveal the sheer number of poor quality manuscripts in circulation - EMWA (4)"

As specialists in writing for the medical field, medical writers are perfectly placed to help overcome these challenges. They can support researchers by combining diverse domain knowledge with a talent for integrating the authors’ expertise, opinions and input into concise and coherent copy. 

"Professional medical writing support promotes and reinforces scientific integrity and reputation"

Professional medical writing support is linked to improvements in:

  1. Adherence to the most up-to-date ethical research and publication guidelines (2,5) 

  2. Publication rates in journals (5) 

  3. Publication rates in journals that have a higher impact factor (5)  

  4. Writing quality (5) 

  5. Content development timelines (5) 

  6. Speed of acceptance by journals (2) 

Professional medical writing support promotes and reinforces scientific integrity and reputation by developing high-quality, accurate, and compliant content for journal submission. As specialists in medical publications and planning, Synthesis employs a unique ‘CLEAR’ methodology. Ensuring manuscripts are concise, logical, ethical, accurate and reputable, we help maximise the strategic impact and industry-wide value of our client’s research.  

You can find out more about our CLEAR methodology here. Or learn how we can work together to maximise the reach and clarity of your content by contacting us today.  

References:

  1. Song F, Loke Y, Hooper L. Why are medical and health-related studies not being published? A systematic review of reasons given by investigators. PLoS One. 2014;9(10):e110418. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0110418

  2. Sharma S. Professional medical writing support: The need of the day. Perspect Clin Res. 2018;9(3):111–112. doi:10.4103/picr.PICR_47_18

  3. Khadilkar SS. Rejection Blues: Why Do Research Papers Get Rejected? J Obstet Gynaecol India. 2018;68(4):239–241. doi:10.1007/s13224-018-1153-1

  4. Riley MJ. Medical Communications. Medical Writing. 2016;24(4):55–58

  5. Evuarherhe O, Gattrell W, White R. et al. Professional medical writing support and the quality, ethics and timeliness of clinical trial reporting: a systematic review. Res Integr Peer Rev. 2019;4(14). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41073-019-0073-