Write Medicine

Are you struggling to keep your clinical audience engaged and invested in your CME content?

In today's fast-paced, information-overloaded world, medical writers face the daunting challenge of capturing and maintaining their readers' attention. This episode explores how you can leverage proven storytelling techniques to create compelling, memorable CME content that resonates with your target audience.

Tune in and unlock the secrets to becoming a master CME storyteller, ready to captivate and inspire your clinical audience like never before!

StoryBrand

Think Faster Talk Smarter by Matt Abrahams

00:00 Introduction

02:55 Crafting compelling CME content: Exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution

05:36 Storybrand

08:30 Other storytelling frameworks

12:09 My challenge for you

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

Fall Back to School Sale

We're running a back-to-school sale September 2 through 12. Standalone CME writing toolkits, business kits, and quarterly WriteCME Pro membership — all at the best pricing we've offered this year. Everything's at www.alexhowson.com. Link's in the show notes.

Are you curious about how artificial intelligence and chatbots are revolutionizing continuing medical education (CME) and transforming the way clinicians learn?

As a CME professional, you constantly seek innovative ways to create engaging and effective educational experiences for your clinician audience. Staying up-to-date with the latest technological advancements, such as AI and chatbots, is crucial to address the specific knowledge gaps and practice needs of busy healthcare providers.

This episode will provide valuable insights on using these cutting-edge tools to enhance your CME programs.

1. Discover how AI-powered chatbots can provide clinicians with personalized, real-time answers to their clinical questions, while seamlessly integrating with validated educational content.

2. Learn how to use data from chatbot interactions to identify knowledge gaps, trending topics, and urgent educational needs, enabling you to create more targeted and impactful CME programs.

3. Gain a deeper understanding of the future of AI in CME, including the potential of machine learning to predict learner gaps and deliver need-specific education, as well as the challenges and opportunities of using generative AI to create customized content.

Tune in to hear Alana Brody MBA, CHCP, Executive Director, Vice President of Strategic Educational Design, and David Setiadi, Chief Technology Officer at Projects in Knowledge Powered by Kaplan, share their expertise on how AI and chatbots can help you create cutting-edge, engaging, and effective CME experiences for your clinician audience!

1. It’s possible to use AI-powered chatbots in your CME programs to provide clinicians with a quick and reliable way to get their clinical questions answered at the point of care. Over time, you can build and maintain a cycle of trust with clinicians, ensuring they can rely on the technology for efficient and effective patient care.

2. You can use data from chatbot interactions to gain valuable insights into your learners' knowledge gaps, educational needs, and trending topics.

3. Pay attention to copyright compliance and privacy. To safeguard the rights of original publishers, you’ll need to verify that the information provided through chatbots is copyright compliant and establish protocols to ensure that all learner data is deidentified to ensure privacy.

[email protected]

Website

0:00 Introduction

01:54 Exploring what chatbots are and how they have entered the CME space

02:47 How chatbots compare with other point-of-care tools

04:30 Lifting the hood into the processes they use to send the learner in the right direction

06:01 The continuous process of updating all the content

06:39 How they’re using the data gathered

09:40 User engagement and interaction with chatbots

12:23 The ecosystem: how they pull learners in, analyzing qualitative data and privacy

16:36 How learners find the chatbot

20:06 How they handle volumes of qualitative data

23:08 The future of the chatbot: Traditional AI vs Generative AI

29:11 Final thoughts: Leveraging AI for personalized learning in CME

32:20 Key takeaways from episode 116

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

Fall Back to School Sale

We're running a back-to-school sale September 2 through 12. Standalone CME writing toolkits, business kits, and quarterly WriteCME Pro membership — all at the best pricing we've offered this year. Everything's at www.alexhowson.com. Link's in the show notes.

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:

Tune in now to discover how you can elevate your literature review skills and deliver stronger, more valuable work to your clients and audiences!

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.

NYU Libraries Literature Search Template

Literature Review Typologies



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 for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Mentioned in this episode:

Outcomes Architect Sprint

Want to finally master outcomes reports? Join my 4-Week Outcomes Reports Sprint and walk away with a polished, portfolio-ready sample plus templates, coaching, and lifetime tools. Spots are limited—sign up at [insert URL].

CMEpalooza

CMEpalooza Fall is a 1-day event scheduled for Wednesday, October 22, that will feature a series of sessions relevant across the CME/CE spectrum. Broadcasts will stream live on the LIVE page of this website and be available for viewing shortly after their conclusion on the Archive page. There is no charge to view or participate in any of these sessions.

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

LinkedIn

Free 61 tips Ebook for medical writers

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

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?

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.

CE Outcomes

[email protected]

Emily Belcher, Director of Research and Analytics: [email protected]

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

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!

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.

Literature Review Typologies

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 for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Mentioned in this episode:

Fall Back to School Sale

We're running a back-to-school sale September 2 through 12. Standalone CME writing toolkits, business kits, and quarterly WriteCME Pro membership — all at the best pricing we've offered this year. Everything's at www.alexhowson.com. Link's in the show notes.

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!

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.

Email: [email protected]

Chimeric Medical Communications, LLC

LinkedIn

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

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

Fall Back to School Sale

We're running a back-to-school sale September 2 through 12. Standalone CME writing toolkits, business kits, and quarterly WriteCME Pro membership — all at the best pricing we've offered this year. Everything's at www.alexhowson.com. Link's in the show notes.

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:

Let's jump in.

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.

Gap Analysis Framework

ACS Tips for Writing Learning Objectives

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 for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Mentioned in this episode:

Fall Back to School Sale

We're running a back-to-school sale September 2 through 12. Standalone CME writing toolkits, business kits, and quarterly WriteCME Pro membership — all at the best pricing we've offered this year. Everything's at www.alexhowson.com. Link's in the show notes.

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.

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.

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

LinkedIn

Website

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

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

Fall Back to School Sale

We're running a back-to-school sale September 2 through 12. Standalone CME writing toolkits, business kits, and quarterly WriteCME Pro membership — all at the best pricing we've offered this year. Everything's at www.alexhowson.com. Link's in the show notes.

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.

ACCME. Standards for Integrity and Independence in Continuing Education. 2020

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 for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Mentioned in this episode:

CMEpalooza

CMEpalooza Fall is a 1-day event scheduled for Wednesday, October 22, that will feature a series of sessions relevant across the CME/CE spectrum. Broadcasts will stream live on the LIVE page of this website and be available for viewing shortly after their conclusion on the Archive page. There is no charge to view or participate in any of these sessions.

Outcomes Architect Sprint

Want to finally master outcomes reports? Join my 4-Week Outcomes Reports Sprint and walk away with a polished, portfolio-ready sample plus templates, coaching, and lifetime tools. Spots are limited—sign up at [insert URL].