The latest issue of Medical Writing is now online

The December 2019 issue of Medical Writing should be in your mailboxes and is now available on our website at journal.emwa.org. This issue is on Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Digital Health and was put together by Evguenia Alechine, who asked experts in the field to share their knowledge and educate us on these pressing topics. In this issue, you will read about the critical role medical writers play in AI-driven healthcare industry; implications of blockchain in healthcare, research, and scientific publishing; machine learning and natural language processing-based tools; systematic literature reviews of medical devices; drug development and medical writing in the digital world; regulatory approval of mHealth and Digital Healthcare devices in the EU and globally; digitalisation within the healthcare sector; and good practice standards in medical writing in this fast-growing digital world.

Upcoming issues of Medical Writing:

March 2020: Visual communications
Medical communications frequently include a visual component to aid in transmitting difficult concepts and articulating ideas. Graphics are crucial for translating the growing amount of data available and for quickly communicating information. Medical writers should understand how to visually engage the reader, either by preparing their own graphic material or collaborating with design or illustration professionals. Guest Editor: Ana Goios. The deadline for feature articles has already passed.

June 2020: The data economy
In an increasingly digitised world, data are economic assets that are becoming the lifeblood of the world economy. Medical writers need to know how data economy affects the development of healthcare products, and they should understand which “big data” repositories are reliable, the specialised data analysis approaches needed, and the issues around big data protection. Guest Editors: Raquel Billiones and Sam Hamilton. The deadline for feature articles is March 10, 2020.

September 2020: European Union regulations
This issue will focus on new EU regulations and their impact on medical writing. Key topics will include changes to centralised procedures, effects of Brexit on the EMA, and new regulations on medical devices, drug-device combinations, and veterinary medicines. Guest Editor: Ana Madani. The deadline for feature articles is June 10, 2020.

December 2020: Writing for patients
This issue will feature articles from some of the key opinion leaders in the area of writing for patients. We will cover aspects such as the current state of information given to patients and how we can do this better; the role of the medical writer in patient associations; the patient voice in research publications; writing up patient-reported outcomes; writing for the internet; and how patient needs are being incorporated into traditional medical communications. Guest Editors: Lisa Chamberlain James and Amy Whereat. The deadline for feature articles is September 8, 2020.

We continue to receive plenty of high-quality articles, but we are always happy to get more. If you are interested in contributing or you have ideas for upcoming issues, please contact us at editor@emwa.org.

Happy reading!

Phil Leventhal
Editor-in-Chief, Medical Writing