Biomedical Writing [Home]
[Who Are Biomedical Writers?] What Do They Do? [How Can I Become One?]


What They Write:
* Regulatory Writing
* Medical Education
* Marketing Communications
* Public Health and Policy
* Medical Journalism
* Technical Documentation
* Grant Writing

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Public Health and Policy: More Information


Effective dissemination of medical and health information entails constructing messages that inform, influence, and motivate institutional and public audiences about important health issues. Many diseases such as cancer generate fear and individual responses may be emotional. Medical and health information may also be inconclusive, controversial, inconsistent, and subject to change as new research data are released. The need for effective dissemination of medical and health information is and will increasingly be a necessary component in government healthcare activities, technology-driven business, anti-smoking campaigns, AIDS prevention, and other areas vital to our society. The scope of this medical and health information includes:

  1. disease prevention and health promotion,
  2. healthcare policy and business,
  3. and enhancement of the quality of life and health of individuals within the community.

A key challenge facing healthcare professionals and agencies is using communication to empower individuals to adopt healthy behaviors, to direct policy makers' attention to important health issues, and to frame those issues for public debate and resolution. To address this challenge, biomedical writers create written communications that aim to change behavior and policy, prepare health leaders and policy makers to utilize healthcare information, and strengthen communication between the public and healthcare professionals.

Examples of communication written by biomedical writers for public health and policy include:

  • Introducing the designated driver concept through campaigns to promote a new social "norm"--that drivers do not drink
  • Writing policy options for legislation to curb domestic violence
  • Creating media and strategies to improve early childhood immunization
  • Developing educational programs to curb teen pregnancy
  • Composing cause-related marketing campaigns for health promotion

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Last Modified May 27, 1999