All posts by Turacoz Group

Ghostwriting in Medical Literature

Medical Writing, , , ,

With the advances in medical technology and innovations in field of medical sciences and drug development, there has been widespread increase in scientific research papers. These scientific papers not only add volume to the medical literature, but also greatly impact the decision making of doctors and regulatory authorities. Doctors might make decisions pertaining to treatment planning based on the updated information available. Regulatory authorities, on the other hand, use this literature for drug approval process or for formulating new policies. Thus, it is important that the scientific articles should be written and published in an ethical manner and should uncover all the advantages and disadvantages/side effects of newer treatment modalities/drugs so that the medical literature is free from bias.

Concept of Ghostwriting

Ghostwriting in medical literature is an awful breach to the ethics in dissemination of information obtained from scientific/medical research. This practice of ghostwriting has widely attracted the attention of medical writers and scientific community and has been greatly criticized by them. Ghostwriters are the ones who are hired by pharmaceutical companies for drafting scientific articles for purpose of marketing their product. Such papers incorporate good effects of product while making exaggerated promises and omit its side effects that might adversely affect its usage/ approval/marketing. The articles written in this manner are credited with the authorship of physicians and academicians in the field to enhance the credibility of given information projecting the same as an unbiased source.

As per a review paper by Górski A et al in 2010, approximately 10% of papers published in reputed journals were estimated to be ghostwritten. Furthermore, this rate was suggested to be even higher for some of the medical specialties. Ghostwriters have been defined by The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals as “individuals who contribute substantially to a medical publication but do not appear on the byline and are not acknowledged for their contribution.”

Concept of Authorship

Authorship makes a person/writer accountable for the published information. The onus of the integrity of information presented in the paper lies on its authors. A person/writer is considered an author as per ICMJE guidelines (available at http://www.icmje.org/) if he has substantial intellectual contribution towards the research or content of publication. For being an author to a document, one must fulfill four important authorship criteria. First criterion is substantial contribution to work either in form of its conception and design, data acquisition or its analysis and interpretation. Secondly, the author should have either drafted the manuscript or made critical revisions necessary for its intellectual content. Thirdly, the final version of the paper to be published should have been approved by the individual to qualify as an author. Lastly, the accuracy or integrity of the work should have been adequately investigated by the authors and issues if any should have been resolved by them. The European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) guidelines clearly state that a medical writers can be listed as an author, if they fulfils the authorship criteria; otherwise they must be acknowledged for their work.

Medical Writing vs. Ghostwriting

Medical writing is a dignified professional service provided by the medical writers from diverse fields of life sciences having a background knowledge of medical and allied sciences. Medical writing services can be utilized by pharmaceutical companies, researchers, doctors, and academicians as a process to disseminate their workloads thereby preventing wastage of research resources. It has been estimated that 6% of all papers in medical literature are developed by the help of medical writers and are based on studies sponsored by “nonprofit organizations”. Professional medical writers with their skills and expertise, can support the research by collating data, analyzing and interpreting it, and presenting the results in a clear and concise manner. They can provide intellectual help by writing publication manuscripts. Additionally, they can be hired by pharmaceutical companies for developing regulatory documents required for drug approval or research protocols, clinical trials and their results etc. In addition, professional medical writers can be hired for writing publication documents like original research articles, review papers, consensus statements, expert opinions, and clinical practice guidelines etc. While medical writers are hired for their skill, efficiency, speed, and expertise in the field, ghostwriting is perceived by scientific community as an intent to deceive.

Acknowledgement of Writing Services as a Solution to Ghostwriting

Acknowledgement of contribution by medical writers to the document/paper is believed to be the best method to tackle problematic ghostwriting in medical literature. Considering this, numerous journal’s, editor’s and medical writer’s associations including ICMJE, World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), EMWA, and American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) allows professional medical writers to contribute to the writing of papers even if they are not listed as authors provided their role is adequately acknowledged along with the funding source to receive these services, to improve transparency. Thus, medical writers can legitimately contribute to manuscripts and their contribution should be adequately acknowledged as recommended by ICMJE, EMWA, and AMWA. Ideally, the acknowledgement should reveal the necessary information to maintain transparency viz. name of the aiding writer and name of the person/company/organization who funded for the writing assistance.

It is the responsibility of authors to ensure that the medical writers whose help was sought while preparing manuscript do not remain as ghosts in the underworld. Instead, they should be brought into light by giving them adequate acknowledgment.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions understands its professional responsibility and take an initiative to make authors and medical writers aware about drawbacks of ghostwriting and method of acknowledging dignified professional services. Turacoz is a medical communication company that provides scientific/medical writing support to the industry and academicians.

World Rabies Day: September 28th, 2018

Awareness Day/Month, , , , , , ,

Rabies, a viral disease that is mainly transmitted by an infected animal bite, is a 100% preventable disease. However, it is still major a public health problem with one death reported every 15 minutes worldwide. Therefore, to raise awareness regarding the burden of rabies, and to unite efforts for its prevention and control, 28th September is celebrated globally as World Rabies Day. This day also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur’s death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine. Celebrating the World Rabies Day serves a reminder that our fight against this deadly disease is far from over.

The first World Rabies Day was observed in 2007, which was a collaboration between the Global Alliance for Rabies Control and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA, with the co-sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Pan American Health Organization. It proved to be an extremely successful campaign, and by 2009, nearly 100 million people worldwide had been educated about rabies and ~3 million dogs had been vaccinated (as estimated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control). On the last World Rabies Day in 2017, several major health organizations, including WHO, OIE, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), pledged to eliminate human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies by 2030.

The World Rabies Day has been identified as an important tool that can assist in rabies prevention by educating and mobilizing at-risk communities, animal health workers, public health practitioners, governments, key opinion leaders, and experts. Today, we have safe and efficacious animal and human vaccines that can eliminate human deaths from rabies; however, lack of awareness is the major roadblock in successfully engaging communities for rabies prevention. Rabies prevention and control has two broad components: animal rabies control and human rabies prevention. Pictorial description of both are shown in Figure 1.

 

 

Figure 1          Rabies prevention and control

The World Rabies Day campaign has a centralized online platform where groups can register their World Rabies Day events and download resources, in print and online, that can support their message for rabies prevention. Moreover, since rabies is a disease that can easily cross borders, especially in wild animal populations, the campaign encourages trans‑national collaboration of rabies control and prevention. The World Rabies Day logo represents the complexity of rabies, which can infect human beings, wildlife and domestic animals, and therefore, needs an interdisciplinary approach to control it.

Overall, the World Rabies Day is a campaign for education, awareness, and action to encourage organizations across all levels-international and local-to increase the spread of messages for rabies prevention. With this blog, Turacoz Healthcare Solutions (a medical communication company) aim to raise awareness about rabies prevention and highlight progress in defeating this animal transmitted viral disease.

A guide to Alzheimer’s care: Tips for daily tasks

Drugs and Disease, , , ,

It is estimated that nearly 44 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s or related dementia. The total number of people with Alzheimer’s is projected to almost double every 20 years.

What really scares me is Alzheimer’s or premature senility, losing that ability to read and enjoy and to write. And you do it, and some days maybe aren’t so good, and then some days, you really catch a wave, and it’s as good as it ever was: – Stephen King

Patience and flexibility are of most importance in Alzheimer’s patients care. Practical tips to be considered by caregivers when handling patients with Alzheimer’s are illustrated in the figure. This helps maintain a sense of independence, dignity and boost their confidence as the patient becomes dependent on caregiver for his/her daily needs.

A guide to Alzheimer’s care: Tips for daily tasks

Figure 1: Tips for caregivers’ family and friends of patient on how a person with Alzheimer’s disease should be cared.

Handling patients with Alzheimer’s disease

Caring for patients with Alzheimer’s disease is challenging, and in many instances the caregiver also falls into depression if they are not supported by friends and family. One of the major challenges a caregiver faces is the change in behaviour of the patient. Both the patient and the caregiver find it difficult to manage the daily basic activities like bathing, eating dressing etc.

  • Tackling communication challenge in Alzheimer’s Disease

Communicating with a patient with Alzheimer’s can be challenging as both understanding and being understood pose a problem. Thus, always try to communicate in simple words and short sentences, avoiding distractions. In many cases the patient finds it difficult to frame sentences to communicate. Have patience and provide them the words he/she is looking for. Give them enough time to respond.

  • Tips to reduce bathing and showering challenge in Alzheimer’s disease

Plan bathing or shower for time of the day when the patient is calm and is ready for bathing. Try to make it a routine. The patient must be made comfortable. As the patient is sensitive to temperature, test the water temperature before bath.

  • Dressing a person with Alzheimer’s disease

Try to get the patient dressed same time each day and make it a routine. Give the patient time to dress and encourage the patient to dress himself/herself.

  • Getting a Person with Alzheimer’s disease to Eat

Try to maintain familiar meal time routine. Ensure a calm, relaxed environment free of distractions during meal time. This helps to reduce confusion and anxiety of patients. Caregivers must ensure that patients are drinking enough water to avoid dehydration. Routine oral check-ups have to be done.

  • Exercises and Activities for people with Alzheimer’s disease

Always watch for agitations. Simple and easy activities which will enhance his/her skills will be more effective than teaching them something new. Exercises can improve the patients’ health and help them to sleep better.

  • Incontinence in patients with Alzheimer’s disease

This is a common problem faced by the patients as the disease progress. Limit fluids containing caffeine and other diuretics.

  • Sleep Problems for Caregivers and a Person with Alzheimer’s disease

Many patients with Alzheimer’s faces ‘sundowning syndrome’, where the patient gets agitated and irritated during bed time. Exercises and physical activity with minimized day time naps helps the patient to get a sound sleep during night.

  • Hallucinations and delusion in patients with Alzheimer’s disease

In most cases hallucination and delusions are signs of physical illness. In such situations avoid arguing with the patient and distract the patient attention to some other topics. Check whether the patient has access to any dangerous objects that can cause harm to others and the patient himself/herself.

  • Wandering: A problem for a person with Alzheimer’s disease

People with Alzheimer’s tend to wander away from their home. Always ensure that the patient carries some sort of identification. Notify local authorities in advance regarding this problem. Always try to keep the doors locked.

Turacoz is a medical communications company, providing customized and cost-effective services in regulatory writing, publication writing, medico-marketing writing, and support for conducting medical advisory board meetings.

Turacoz healthcare solutions, aims to increase awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and with this blog, provide useful tips to caregivers, family and friends of Alzheimer’s patients.

Being a Star in your Industry is a Matter of Corporate Etiquettes!

Awareness Day/Month, , , , , ,

You might wonder about the title of this article, figuring out how manners can make you a star. But before we explain you how, let’s look at the story of 2 individuals, Mr. X, who is an MBA graduate with 90% and is working for a big company for 3 years. Mr. Z, who serves the same company as Mr. X but with qualifications of bachelors & work experience of only a year. Mr. X excels in terms of qualifications & experience.

Both left to meet their clients one day for some work. Mr. X went into the cabin without knocking and discovered that client was his batch-mate & seeing this he said while patting on his client’s shoulders –“Hey! Good morning. How are you doing? Long time. (flipping the file on the table) have a look at my new proposal, I bet it is awesome dude.”

Mr. Z went in after knocking and receiving a welcome gesture from his client. He recognized the client was someone he knew. He then asked for the permission to sit and spoke-“Good Morning, sir. As per the telephonic discussion, I have prepared a draft of the proposal. Kindly have a look. (handing over the file to the client)”

He then stands up, greets again and then leaves.

The client thrashed Mr. X while Mr. Z got an appreciation for his efforts.

Now you must marvel, what went so wrong with Mr. X? Well, the lack of proper business etiquettes landed Mr. X in this situation. No matter how well qualified he was and how much experience he had, he didn’t act accordingly. When into business, your personal relationships don’t signify, you must act formally.

Mr. Z though being less qualified and experienced than Mr. X, knew how to act professionally and thus strike the chord right.

So, when you are driving in a corporate set up, it signifies how you behave in the business environment.

What are Corporate Etiquettes?

These are an array of generally recognized rules for acting reasonably in a business environment. It is a way of displaying socially relevant behavior in business relationships.

Why Corporate Etiquettes?

  • It gives a positive perception of you
  • Behaving properly makes you feel confident & composed, letting you focus on your work
  • It saves your time as you don’t have to appease the individual whose sentiments you have hurt
  • It makes people around you comfortable & they would like to work with you
  • Forms an amicable environment
  • Ward offs misunderstandings to a remarkable extent

As per research organized by the American Society of Quality Control, 68% of business is cast away by corporate because of the improper attitude of employees’ while approaching expected clients.

So, you can simply infer the importance of Corporate Etiquettes now.

Basic Business Etiquettes to follow:

Being a Star in your Industry is a Matter of Corporate Etiquettes!

Here are some absolute DOs & DON’Ts in a corporate set-up:

DOs:

  • Dress properly/formally
  • Respect your fellow employees, juniors & seniors
  • Keep your workplace neat & clean
  • Be punctual, reach office on time
  • Respect the privacy of other employees
  • Take care of your tone & language

DON’Ts:

  • Never adopt a casual attitude at work
  • Don’t squeak into other’s cubicles/workstations
  • Don’t keep your phone on ringing mode
  • Don’t touch or use other people’s belongings without their permission
  • Don’t bully or make fun of fellow employees
  • Never wear flashy or exposing clothes to workplace
  • Never drink while you are at work

By following these simple tricks & tips you can shine at your workplace and be a star. Incorporate these into your daily life & see the difference. Turacoz Healthcare Solutions encourages the practice of good business etiquettes within its employees and promotes the same. Remember:

                            “Standards are not established by your proclamations, but by your routines.”

Because if you kill yourself, you’re also going to kill those who love you

Awareness Day/Month, HR, , , , , ,

Suicide has become the 3rd highest reason for deaths today in the world, notably among the age group of 15-44 years (male & female). As per the reports, there is 1 death every 40 seconds globally. The suicide rate, globally, has increased by 60% in the last 45 years. Suicide endeavors are up to 20 times more incessant than finished suicides.

This is undeniably a sad state as predominantly the youth is becoming suicidal. When you are surrounded by problems and cannot figure out a way, suicide is not the solution. But still, many people fail to understand this fact and end up taking their lives, leaving their near & dear ones in immense pain, shock & trauma.

The world celebrates “World Suicide Prevention Day” on 10th September to spread awareness about suicide & offer worldwide commitment & action to prevent suicides.

The theme for 2018 is “Working together to prevent suicide.”

There are various reasons for suicide, to name some:

  • Unemployment
  • Losing a loved one
  • Family problems
  • Financial issues
  • Alienation from community, society or any group
  • Mental disorders like depression, substance abuse, etc.

As per a survey, mental states like depression account for most suicides in the world, about 90%.

According to the reports by WHO:

  • The Eastern European region has the highest suicide rate for both the genders.
  • India & China contribute to 30% of total suicides worldwide.
  • 55% of people aged between 15-44 years & 45% aged 45 or above commit suicide.
  • Suicide among the youth is becoming a major reason for concern.

Suicide in India:

A land of over 1.32 billion people has a suicide rate of 16.4 per 100,000 women (6th highest globally) & 25.8 for men (22nd highest in the world), according to WHO. The major causes are identified as family issues, prolonged illness & any mental disorder. People in the age group of 15-44 had the highest number of suicides.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions understands the severity of the problem and presents some tips to help a suicidal person.

First, let’s get ourselves clear about common misconceptions about suicide:

  • Individuals who discuss suicide won’t usually do it
  • Any individual who tries to kill him/herself must be insane
  • In the event that a man is resolved to murder him/herself, nothing will stop them
  • Individuals who committed suicide were individuals unwilling to have looked for help
  • Discussing suicide may give somebody the thought

If you pay attention, then anyone who is about to attempt a suicide or is having suicidal thoughts, won’t commit it abruptly. He/she will drop some or the other hint. Being alert & noticing the hints can aid in preventing the suicide

Below mentioned are some hints that a person thinking of suicide might drop:

  • Discussing suicide
  • Searching out deadly means like pills, gun, etc.
  • Distraction with death
  • No expectation for what’s to come
  • Self-hatred, self-loathing
  • Getting undertakings all together like making a will, etc.
  • Saying farewell
  • Pulling back from others
  • Causing harm to themselves
  • A sudden feeling of quiet

Preventing the suicide:

Because if you kill yourself, you’re also going to kill those who love you

  • Speak up to the individual whom you are really concerned about. If you think he/she is having suicidal intentions, you, being the individual to share the sentiments with might make him feel comfortable and by talking, you will also get an idea of his mental state and judge the gravity of the situation.
  • Respond promptly in a deadlock. Once you have analyzed the urgency of the situation and sensed the degree of the threat, respond accordingly. Call emergency services, remove any hazardous material or weapons & make sure to stick with the person about to commit suicide.
  • Extend your support & sympathy. Lay an ear to the person and hear out all he/she has to say. Comfort the individual and try to console him/her. Show your faith in him/her and make the person believe that they are much needed here and are loved and cared for.

To help a suicidal person you should:

  • Reach out for professional help
  • Have a follow-up on the treatment
  • Raise the person’s morale & encourage a healthy lifestyle for him
  • Keep the person distant from any measures of suicide
  • Keep supporting and caring

There are various Suicide helplines you can reach out to even if you are the person concerned or the victim itself. Below are the list & details of a few 24/7 suicide helplines for India:

  1. AASRA: +91 22-27546669/ +91 22-27546667

      Email: [email protected]

  1. 1life: +91 78930-78930

      Email: [email protected]

  1. Vandrevala Foundation: 1860-266-2345/ 1800-233-3330

      Email: [email protected]

Suicide is an issue that needs to be taken care of immediately. Your support and love for such people can make them love their life again. The individuals suffering from suicidal thoughts don’t want to die; they want their pain to die. We can help them with ending their suffering or at least make them forget their misery and live again.

To all those people who are thinking of ending their existence, Turacoz wants to convey to them the message that-

“You are not alone. Everyone feels lonely at some stage in his or her life. But this feeling is momentary and will not last forever. The world is a predominant place with you in it. Love yourself!”

Art of Effective Team Management

HR, ,

Managing a team to success requires more than just simply assigning tasks to individuals. Handling a team can be exciting, rewarding and exhausting. Being responsible for a team of people you have never met before and then being accountable for their development, achievements, and performance can be little petrifying.

So, what does it take to manage the team effectively? Good Leadership! Yes, for effective team management to work, it needs good leadership. A manager must work upon to strengthen the bonds between the individuals in their team and must possess good management skills.

We often hear the terms ‘leader’ and ‘manager’ used inclusively, but there is actually a difference. By definition, a leader is someone who creates the vision, innovates, and focuses on the long-term overview, and a manager is the person who gathers the necessary tools and resources to set, measure, and accomplish the vision. The leader is the one with the people skills, whereas the manager focuses on systems and structures. But away with that — we all know that for a manager to stand out, having leadership qualities is a must.

Being able to communicate well and develop a relationship with all the members of the team is critical for building trust, promoting collaboration, and enhancing teamwork. A team who enjoy working together, is more likely to succeed together.

Here are some tips for achieving a happier and more productive team:

  1. Being transparent: Transparent working environments have been found to make teams more accountable, happy and creative. Transparent work environments help to develop a feeling of mutual respect between team members and team leaders.
  2. Keep communicating: The foundation of a cooperative and productive team is good communication. Open and consistent communication at workplace helps employees to feel secure in their positions. In turn, team members feel freer to contribute ideas and suggestions, enhancing creativity.
  3. Constant feedback: Providing feedback to team members is one of the best ways you can support them to develop professionally and personally. Feedback can be difficult, but it is an essential part of effective team management.
  4. Encourage collaboration: Team members feel happy if they can get along well with one another & can perform better too.
  5. Trust your team to do their job: Effective team management shouldn’t mean micro-management. Leaving your team to do their job without you constantly hovering over their shoulder will not only highlight your confidence in them to do a good job, but it will also give you time to complete your own tasks — a win-win for everyone really.
  6. Recognize achievements: If someone’s doing a good job, acknowledge it. Recognizing efforts illustrates to your team that you are paying attention to them, and that you appreciate their hard work.
  7. Foster development: Encouraging employees to acquire new or advanced skills, knowledge, viewpoints and ensure that the team members are happy in their roles are crucial factor for the overall growth of business.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions takes pride in having very effective and efficient team managers who understands the need and expectation of the team members. We believe in supporting all our employees in every way possible. We are a listening organization and continuously working in the lines of perfecting our teams. To work with us please do visit career section.

Borderline Medical Devices – European Commission Update (December 2017)

Medical Devices, , ,

When a device seems to fit onto the definitions of two or more product types, and cannot be clearly classified as a medical device, an in vitro diagnostic medical device, or an active implantable medical device, it is referred to as a borderline medical device. The 18th version of the Manual on Borderline and Classification in the Community Regulatory Framework for Medical Devices (Borderline Manual) was issued by the European Commission’s Medical Devices Expert Group (MDEG) on Borderline and Classification in December 2017. The manual complements MEDDEV 2.1/3 Rev. 3, which provides guidance on borderline products and other medical devices that incorporate pharmacological or biological substances. The appropriate classification of a medical device is important as it determines the device’s authorization process and marketing strategy. From a regulatory standpoint, the classification is usually based on its primary mode of action, intended use, and product claims.

The updated Borderline Manual includes recommendations on a total of 94 devices, including guidance on the classification of 12 additional product types; however, these recommendations are not legally binding. It is important to note that the decisions on the classification of a product remain a competence of the Member States, which may lead to different interpretations among different countries within the EU. However, to ensure a uniform approach, difficult cases may be discussed in the informal MDEG; the consensus statements from this meeting are published in the Borderline Manual.

The revised Borderline Manual indicates that the following products should generally be classified as medical devices:

  • Mobile application for the assessment of moles (Class I)
  • Liquid nitrogen for cryopreservation of cells and tissues of human origin for medical purpose (Class IIa)
  • Alum styptic pencils (Class IIa)
  • Dura guard for use with a craniotome (Class III)
  • Heart bypass cannulae (Class III)
  • Tissue expanders used in the breast (Class III)

On the contrary, the following products should, in principle, not be considered as medical devices:

  • Mobile application for managing pictures of moles
  • D-mannose for the prevention of urinary tract infections
  • 8-MOP solution in extracorporeal photochemotherapy
  • Products intended to reduce the effect of alcohol
  • Radiation shields
  • Microplate washers

It is important to note that based on criteria proposed by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for borderline determinations, each product’s assessment should include several elements and be very factual; however, the guidance provided in the Borderline Manual often lacks such a detailed and balanced review. Moreover, some of the positions taken in the Borderline Manual may require reconsideration due to potential reclassifications brought by new European Commission Regulations. The new Regulations broaden the definition of a medical devices and also include some products without medical purpose within the purview of the new rules (especially products for aesthetic use). Although changes introduced by the new regulations may help resolve some of the existing borderline questions, divergent views on the classification of more complex products may persist.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions, a medical communication company, specializes in various kinds of medical writing documents (Publication, Regulatory and Medico marketing) which covers a vast arena of clinical trials, drugs, medical devices, health economics and outcome research, observational studies etc.  We take pride in providing customized, guideline compliant documents which are well within the committed timelines.

World Senior Citizen Day- Let us join hands to create awareness about quality healthcare to the elderly

Awareness Day/Month, , , , , , ,

The World Senior Citizens Day is observed on 21st August every year with the intention to acknowledge the contributions of senior citizens of to the society. Further, it intends to make people aware about the condition of elderly and support them while aging. Aging is an unstoppable phenomenon which is also related to numerous health concerns. The global improvement in standard of living has increased longevity and is associated with aging of population. In the year 2011, the estimated number of adults living in India over 60 years of age was about 104 million. This number is expected to increase up to 323 million by 2050, thus constituting approximately 20% of the total Indian population. Furthermore, older people across the globe are estimated by World Health Organization (WHO) to outnumber children under age of 14 years by the year 2050.

With such drastic increase in elderly population, there has been increased burden of geriatric health problems worldwide including India. Therefore, for any nation to prosper in current scenario, wellbeing of its geriatric population is very important. This necessitates proper understanding of their health issues and related needs.

In view of this, WHO in collaboration with the Government of India conducted a cross-sectional survey on elderly population of 60 years and above in 10 different sites of different states and union territories of India. As per this survey, older people are commonly afflicted by diseases such as visual impairment (including uncorrected long sightedness/ reduced near vision), unoperated cataract, uncorrected hearing impairment, urinary problems, obesity, poor nutrition, hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, dental problems, and depression. Thus, overall morbidity is higher in older population of any country. This highlights the need for preventive health checkup camps for them, with affordable laboratory investigation packages, transport service to labs and hospitals. Furthermore, government and other private/charitable hospitals/organizations should come forward and take initiatives either individually or in collaboration to strengthen the healthcare facilities for senior citizens in the country which may be in form of immunization programs or measures for improving their nutrition or simple health awareness programs for elderly.

Further, it is certain that older people suffer from multiple comorbid conditions which leads to polypharmacy i.e., concurrent use of multiple pills. It is known that polypharmacy negatively affects patient’s adherence to treatment protocol which makes medication schedule irregular. Medication non-adherence basically, is a failure to adopt a prescribed medication regimen adequately. It involves either stopping the intake of prescribed medicines, and/or alterations in their dosage or missing doses in between. This non-adherence adversely affects individual’s health. This results in worsening of health issues and leads to increased medical emergencies and hospitalizations, and thus decreases quality of life.

Apart from polypharmacy, medication non-adherence in elders may be due to physical barriers such as cognitive deficits or diminished physical senses. Low health literacy and low socioeconomic status can also negatively impact individual’s ability to manage the prescribed medicines adequately. Furthermore, medication non-adherence might sometimes be because of more faith of elderly people on traditional medicines and the local doctors than specialists. In view of above mentioned health issues related to elderly people, it is of utmost important that they take good care of their health to lead healthy and quality lives. So, below mentioned are few health tips for them.

Tips to keep yourselves healthy while aging:

  • Keep yourself physically active as much as possible by doing regular exercise and walking.
  • Remain socially active by meeting friends, relatives or joining some social clubs, yoga clubs etc.
  • Eat healthy and balanced diet as per your medical condition. Seek advice from dietician or nutritionist if required.
  • Avoid use of tobacco in any form.
  • Visit your doctor and get your health checkups done at regular intervals.
  • Take your medicines as prescribed. If you tend to forget, set alarms in your phone or watch or ask someone you trust to remind you.
  • Join a pharmacy that delivers medicines to you. Your pharmacist can also remind you when your next prescription is due.

Elderly people many times are either completely or partially dependent on their care providers who are usually of comparatively younger generation. Therefore, onus lies on these care givers from younger generation or the youth of nation to take adequate care of older people. So, below mentioned are few tips which can help younger care givers provide adequate care to their elderly to improve their quality of life.

Tips for caregivers for taking care of elderly:

  • Keep track of health of dependent elderly and take them to visit their doctor at regular intervals for routine health checkup and other body investigations.
  • As elderly people tend to become forgetful and miss their medicines, therefore keep track of their medications and ensure a regular intake of medicines.
  • Ensure that the dependent elderly is fed with healthy and nutritious diet as per their health requirements.
  • Accompany dependent elderly during morning and evening walks so that they feel refreshed.
  • Spend some time with dependent elderly so that they do not feel lonely and depressed.

If it is the responsibility of caregiver to take care of good health of their elderly, it is important for caregivers to keep themselves fit and healthy.

If our elderly become self-reliant and if their caregivers and the society become sensitive to their needs, the elderly can lead a healthy meaningful life. The society can benefit from their experience and the growing geriatric population can be a healthy one.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions take an initiative to draw attention of youth towards health concerns of elderly people in nation and shares tips to ensure a better quality of life for them. Turacoz is a medical communication company that provides scientific/medical writing support to the industry and academicians.

Writing an Original Research Article

Medical Writing, , , ,

What is an Original Research Article?
Original research articles, the primary sources of scientific literature, are considered to have the highest level of evidence/quality of evidence. An article is considered an original research if;

  • It is an article by the researchers who have conducted the study
  • It is a report that elaborates the methodology and results of a randomized controlled trial/observational study/survey/real world evidence study
  • It is an article that describes a hypothesis or research question

Overall, the goal of an original research is to answer the question about specific scientific method, compare two treatments (experimental vs comparative), or establish a hypothesis.

How to Plan a Manuscript?
Conception of a manuscript to submission, has several steps in between. Before we discuss the content that must go in each section, let us read through the steps that must be followed to plan, draft, and complete a manuscript draft as illustrated in Figure 1.
Among the steps involved in drafting a manuscript, understanding the therapeutic area and conducting a literature search appropriately are the most important steps. Literature search is usually done based on the research question of the study. Identifying relevant articles during the literature search is dependent on picking the right search terms, electronic databases to be searched, region of the study, and time duration in which the articles are required.

Figure 1: Steps Involved in Planning and Completing a Scientific Manuscript

What is the Format to be Followed while Writing an Original Research Article?

Drafting an original research article requires adequate knowledge of the different sections in it along with the relevant guidelines. The uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted in biomedical journals by International Committee for Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) has defined a standard format for presenting information in an original research article. As per this guideline, the IMRAD (Introduction, methods, results, and discussion) format must be followed.
IMRAD defines the overall format of the manuscript. However; the equator (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) network is an international initiative that aims to improve the reliability and value of published health research literature (http://www.equator-network.org/).

What goes Where: Know the Sections and their Content
Although IMRAD broadly defines the format of an original research article. One must be clear, and specific about the information that must be added in each section for a well written manuscript (Figure 2). This not only makes the manuscript clear to understand but also increases the chances of it getting accepted in the journal the author plans to submit it to.

Figure 2: IMRAD, Section-wise Description of a Scientific Manuscript

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions (THS), a medical communication company, offers services to healthcare professionals in clinical research, regulatory writing, medico marketing writing, publication writing and support for conducting medical advisory board meetings. The aim of the blog was to appraise its readers regarding the importance of following guidelines and their importance for writing and getting original research articles published.

Healthcare Advertising

Medical Writing, ,

“Are you into healthcare advertising?”

“Yes!”

“Oh! It involves so much medical jargon, and little opportunity for creativity! Do you enjoy your job?”

I have been part of several such conversations, and through this blog, I would like to touch upon some facets of healthcare advertising that may partly undermine (and partly reinforce!) the stereotypes associated with this field.

Based on data from a 2015 US-based study, nearly $10 billion is spent by the healthcare industry into advertising and marketing. Despite the huge amount of money involved, the healthcare advertising segment is often typecast as “lacking in creativity/innovation” and “boring”. Well, this is not surprising considering that every print, website, banner, and video advertisement gets scrutinized by a medical review team and needs to pass a rigorous risk mitigation assessment. In fact, dissemination of safety information takes up almost half of a 30 second TV spot and rules for short-form messaging may run up to 10-15 pages. With such extensive regulations in place, it is often difficult to be creative! Most advertising professionals, therefore, create campaigns that are safe and obvious to avoid getting caught in the legalities of the system.

In addition, creating advertisements from data provided by doctors, is quite challenging. The key is to understand the underlying motivation behind the drug/campaign from an emotional perspective, including purchasing decisions and consumer behavior.

Future of healthcare advertising

How can healthcare advertising evolve in the near future? Here are a few pointers:
1)  Optimizing advertisements for mobile phones (smartphones) and using social media apps, such as Facebook and Twitter, as marketing platforms
2)  Developing smart (read: social-media shareworthy) content that is interesting, fresh, reliable, and authoritative
3)  Individualizing marketing delivery systems using digital marketing tools: Contemporary marketing methods identify user interests and deliver timely, personalized and relevant content on a one-to-one basis
4) Target patients by location: Such a strategy can adapt the advertisement according to social and personal preference of the audience, and also inform them about nearby facilities
5)  Going live! “Programmatic video” is the new buzzword in the field, and according to some estimates, it will account for the majority of digital video spending over the next couple of years. Programmatic video basically uses real time data and presents video advertisements to precisely qualified customers at exactly the right time.

Overall, it can be concluded that healthcare advertising may not be as creative as the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) segment; however, the challenges it poses make it all the more interesting to work in this field. With the evolution of new marketing strategies, the constraints of healthcare advertising can prove to be an asset in a non-conventional marketing set-up of the future.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions provides high quality end to end scientific/medical writing support to the industry and academia. We expertise in different kinds of medicomarketing solutions like leave behind literature (LBL), slide-decks, posters, newsletters, patient education materials, customized books/booklets, visual aids etc. Turacoz strongly follows good marketing practices backing every product claim with scientific relevance and ensuring that the message rightly resonates with the target audience.