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Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed and frustrated when searching for relevant studies on PubMed for your medical writing projects? As a medical writer, you know that conducting a comprehensive literature review is crucial for delivering high-quality work to your clients and audiences. However, the process can be time-consuming and challenging, especially if you don't have a clear strategy. This episode of Monday Mentor will provide you with the tools and techniques you need to streamline your literature review process and find the most relevant, high-quality studies to inform your work. Listen in to gain: Best practices for efficiently searching databases like PubMed Steps to find the most relevant and high-quality sources. Tools and resources to stay organized and produce a rigorous literature review Tune in now to discover how you can elevate your literature review skills and deliver stronger, more valuable work to your clients and audiences! Takeaways 1. Defining your research question or objectives is crucial for guiding your search strategy and ensuring a focused, efficient literature review process. Before diving into your literature search, take the time to clearly articulate your research question or objectives using frameworks like PICO, SPIDER, or PEO. 2. Using a combination of keyword searches, subject heading/index term searches (like MeSH terms), and database filters can help you capture a wide range of potentially relevant sources while narrowing down your results. Familiarize yourself with the search functionalities and controlled vocabularies of databases like PubMed, and experiment with different combinations of keywords, subject headings, and filters to optimize your search results. 3. Leveraging citation management tools, note-taking techniques, and reporting guidelines can help you stay organized, maintain transparency, and produce a rigorous literature review. Explore and implement tools like EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley for citation management, and develop a structured note-taking system (e.g., literature matrices or apps like Notion or Roam Research) to synthesize and report your findings effectively. Resources NYU Libraries Literature Search Template Literature Review Typologies  Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:47 Defining the research question 03:43 Establishing search terms 06:17 Exploring various databases 10:30 Grey literature sources 13:32 Additional search techniques 15:07 Tools and resources that can help you 20:28 The power of literature reviews Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast! Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Virginia Chachati is a pharmacist turned medical writer who embarked on her freelance journey after moving to Germany in 2020. Inspired by the need to work remotely and make a living online, Virginia started a travel health blog that caught a client's attention on Upwork. Despite being underpaid for her valuable work, this experience motivated her to create a community of medical writers focused on fair compensation and support. Virginia established a presence on LinkedIn, where a medical communications agency found and recruited her. Now a full-time freelancer, Virginia enjoys the flexibility of working from home while being able to travel back to the UK for work and family visits. Join us as Virginia shares her insights on building a thriving medical writing career. 1. Learn how to identify and attract high-quality clients who value your skills and expertise 2. Discover the power of community in setting fair rates and supporting your professional growth Connect with Virginia LinkedIn Resources Free 61 tips Ebook for medical writers Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 02:10 Virginia’s journey into medical writing 04:02 Her experience with Upwork 06:31 Being picky about clients 08:29 Importance of writers knowing their worth and setting ground rules 12:56 The power of community in medical writing and solving the problem of Upwork 17:52 Setting fair value in medical writing 21:56 The future of medical writing: AI and social media 26:15 Takeaways from today’s conversation with Virginia Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast! Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Are you measuring CME outcomes effectively or just tacking them on at the end? If you're involved in developing, measuring and reporting on CME outcomes, you know it's become an expected part of the process. But many CME providers still struggle with integrating outcomes throughout program design and implementation. This leads to poor practices like tacking on outcomes at the end, writing vague questions, and creating reports that fail to tell a compelling story. To truly demonstrate the value and impact of your education, outcomes measurement needs to be woven in from the very beginning. In episode 113 of Write Medicine Wendy Cerenzia and Emily Belcher of CE Outcomes share their hard-won insights on outcomes measurements. Tune in to: 1. Learn why and how to integrate outcomes planning into the earliest stages of educational design  2. Discover tips for writing effective outcomes questions that align with learning objectives and avoid common pitfalls 3. Understand what makes a compelling outcomes report that ties the story together for stakeholders Ready to uplevel your outcomes game? Takeaways 1. Outcomes measurement must be integrated from the beginning of educational planning and design, not tacked on at the end. Take action today by reviewing your process for integrating outcomes measurement into educational design. This will help you identify opportunities to involve outcomes experts earlier.  2. Effective outcomes questions align with learning objectives, avoid vagueness and confusing options, and consider the target audience, education format, and intended data use. Work with your faculty to carefully craft outcomes questions that align with objectives and will yield meaningful data. And consider pilot testing questions. 3. A compelling outcomes report ties the story together by connecting program goals, educational design, key findings, and important learnings. When you are writing your next outcomes report, challenge yourself to weave a coherent narrative that demonstrates the "why" behind the education and interprets the data to extract relevant insights. Focus on clearly communicating the impact and value. Connect with Wendy and Emily CE Outcomes [email protected] Emily Belcher, Director of Research and Analytics: [email protected] Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 1:05 Measuring Continuing Medical Education Outcomes 2:46 Current State of Outcomes in CME and CPD 5:58 Poor Practices in Measuring Outcomes 10:13 Root Cause of Not Starting with the End in Mind 10:26 Outcomes Standardization Project 18:07 Importance of Internal Consistency in Definitions 19:19 Effectiveness of Outcomes Measurement Frameworks 22:21 Expectations from Supporters in Outcomes Reporting 26:45 Cautious Approach to Using AI in Outcomes Analysis 31:36 Elements of a Good Outcome Story 34:45 Future Directions in Outcomes Analysis and Reporting 38:24 Three Takeaways and Action Steps from Episode 113 Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast! Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Are you struggling to find the most relevant papers for your medical writing projects on PubMed? You know the importance of having a solid research foundation when working on medical writing projects like clinical practice guidelines, grant proposals, or CME materials. But searching databases like PubMed can feel like falling down a rabbit hole, leaving you frustrated and unsure if you've found the most pertinent literature. This episode of Monday Mentor will help you understand what literature reviews are and how to choose the right type of review for your project, setting you up for more efficient and effective database searches. Listen to this episode to discover: 1. The essential purposes and elements of a well-crafted literature review  2. How literature reviews inform a wide range of medical writing projects 3. The different types of literature reviews and when to use each one Tune in now to learn how to master the art of the literature review and take your medical writing to the next level! Takeaways Here are three key takeaways from this episode of Monday Mentor: 1. Literature reviews are essential for providing context, identifying gaps, and synthesizing evidence to support various medical writing projects, from clinical practice guidelines to grant proposals and CME materials. 2. Different types of literature reviews serve different purposes and follow distinct methodologies, such as narrative reviews for broad, critical analysis; systematic reviews for answering focused questions; scoping reviews for mapping research activity; and realist reviews for understanding complex interventions. 3. Selecting the appropriate type of literature review based on your research objectives is crucial for conducting an efficient and effective review that informs evidence-based decision-making in your medical writing projects. Resources Literature Review Typologies Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to searching relevant literature 01:03 What literature reviews are and the different types 02:04 Why do a literature review at all 03:18 What type of medical writing projects do literature reviews serve 06:48 Common types of literature reviews Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast! Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

If you are an education provider, are you curious about how to use social media platforms like X/formerly Twitter to deliver engaging and accredited CME content? If you're a writer, do you want to know more about how to create social-media-based short-form content? As a medical educator or content creator, you may be looking for innovative ways to reach healthcare professionals where they already spend time - on social media. Episode 111 jumps into the world of "tweetorials" and explores how you can adapt your educational content for platforms like X/Twitter while maintaining the quality and accreditation standards of traditional CME. Julie Merten PharmD is my guest, a clinical pharmacist at the forefront of medical writing and CME content development at Chimeric Medical Communications. In today's episode, she shares her strategy for distilling complex medical topics into bite-sized educational content. We'll explore how to take a full clinical data paper, sharpen the key messages, and deliver them in a way that not only educates but engages and fosters interaction. What is the role of imagery, ethical considerations, and the importance of tapping into the right medical niches? Join us to learn more about crafting compelling short-form CME and take your content to the next level on social media! Takeaways 1. When creating short-form content for social-media-based CME, keep the scope narrow and focused. If a topic is too complex, consider breaking it up into multiple threads or supplementing with other formats like expert videos. 2. Invest time in creating high-quality, engaging visuals that are optimized for mobile viewing. Infographic-style images and square aspect ratios work well for tweetorials. 3. Emojis, design elements, and questioning techniques are practical tools to hook an audience and convey information quickly. If you adopt these stylistic elements, be aware of cultural interpretations and maintain factual accuracy and appropriateness for mobile consumption. Connect with Julie Email: [email protected] Chimeric Medical Communications, LLC LinkedIn Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 02:29 Introducing Julie 04:02 What a Tweetorial is and how it works 05:27 How long threads have been around 06:53 Crafting a Tweetorial tutorial 08:11 Assessing learner engagement on Tweetorials - how people respond and sign up for them 10:56 Creating private communities on X 11:57 Looking at the interaction of learners in a Tweetorial 13:01 Some of the challenges when creating this short-form content 14:33 Teaching and learning considerations with short-form content 15:45 All about emojis 18:01 Moving from long-form to short-form content 19:55 Figuring out what the key messages are 21:10 The scope for patient cases and tutorials 21:40 Ethical concerns 23:16 Considerations on how Tweetorials are assessed 24:01 Evaluating outcome metrics for Tweetorials 25:42 Finding CME on X as a learner 27:08 Key skills to develop for creating effective accredited education content for social media 31:40 Final thoughts on trying short-form content 32:37 Where to connect with Julie 33:21 Tips for creating short-form content for social media-based CME Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast! Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Are you crafting compelling stories of transformation in your CME needs assessments? As a CME writer, your ability to identify clinical practice gaps and translate them into actionable learning objectives is crucial for creating needs assessments that lead to impactful education. Episode 110 equips you a framework for developing practice and performance gaps and learning objectives for robust needs assessments that justify the need for education. Tune in to: Understand what clinical practice and performance gaps are and how to substantiate them through thorough research Learn a framework for conducting a comprehensive gap analysis to pinpoint the root causes of practice shortfalls Discover the key components of well-crafted learning objectives and how to align them with desired outcomes Let's jump in. Takeaways 1. Use the question-based framework I shared in the episode to conduct a thorough gap analysis, considering the what, why, who, when, where, and how of the identified practice gap. You'll also find a template for gap analysis in the show notes. 2. Ensure your learning objectives are actionable, measurable, relevant, and aligned with the desired outcome level (e.g., knowledge, competence, performance, patient outcomes). 3. Push yourself to create learning objectives that go beyond knowledge gains and foster practical skill application to drive meaningful practice change. Resources Gap Analysis Framework ACS Tips for Writing Learning Objectives Time Stamps 00:00 Introduction 00:38 Identifying clinical practice and performance gaps 07:34 Crafting effective learning objectives 08:03 4 rules of thumb when creating learning objectives 09:37 TLDR on learning objectives Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast! Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Are you unknowingly excluding audiences with your medical writing and CME content?  As a CME professional, ensuring that your content reaches and resonates with diverse audiences is crucial. In a field that shapes the clinical practice and well-being of so many, accuracy and accessibility are non-negotiable.  Virginia Chachati, a pharmacist turned medical writer, joins me to explore strategies and best practices for crafting inclusive, accessible content that empowers readers and improves health outcomes.  In EP 109, you’ll: 1. Learn how to optimize your content for people with varying levels of health literacy and digital skills 2. Discover tools and resources to help you create content that meets accessibility standards 3. Understand the impact of inclusive writing on audience engagement and health equity Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your inclusive content creation skills. Takeaways 3 Steps you can take toward accessibility and inclusivity.  1. Familiarize yourself with health literacy principles and accessibility guidelines, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the Patient Information Forum's PIF TICK standard. 2. Audit your existing content for accessibility and inclusivity, identifying areas for improvement and implementing best practices. 3. Continuously educate yourself on inclusive writing strategies by following thought leaders, attending workshops, and engaging with resources shared in the episode's show notes. Resources Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Patient Information Forum TICK standard How to Write Clearly by Tom Albrighton  Writing Tools: 55 essential strategies for every writer by Roy Clark  Health literacy as a social determinant of health National Institutes of Health: What is health literacy? CME/CE Content Creator's Toolkit The Utility of Social Media in CME The Checklist Revolution: Streamlining Healthcare Content for Better Understanding Cultivating a Visual Mindset: Infographics in Continuing Healthcare Education Connect with Virginia Email: [email protected] LinkedIn Website Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 02:22 Virginia’s approach to making medical writing accessible and inclusive 08:59 Resources to support accessibility work 13:06 Takeaways from today’s conversation on accessibility and inclusive content creation Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast! Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Are you ready to master the art of medical writing and stand out as a CME content creator? As a medical writer, you know that crafting compelling continuing medical education (CME) content requires a unique set of competencies. But what exactly are these essential skills, and how can you develop them to stand out in this competitive field? In this episode, we'll explore the core abilities that will help you excel as a CME writer and deliver exceptional educational content that meets the needs of both your clients and healthcare professionals. In this episode, you'll unlock: 1. A breakdown of the essential writing skills needed to articulate complex medical information simply and effectively. 2. A peak into the most valuable sources for compelling and robust needs assessments. 3. How fostering your communication and collaboration abilities prepares you to work seamlessly with clients and subject matter experts to achieve excellence in medical education content. Discover how to enhance your CME writing expertise—tune in for valuable insights to transform your approach and elevate your industry standing. Resources ACCME. Standards for Integrity and Independence in Continuing Education. 2020 Time Stamps 00:00 Introduction 00:34 CME writing demands strong foundational writing skills 01:22 You need technical proficiency with reference management software 02:15 Importance of research skills 04:11 Communication and collaboration skills 05:32 Understanding assessment and outcomes frameworks 06:47 Summary of today’s mini-episode Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast! Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.