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Between Progress and Protection: The Struggle over AI Data Sharing in Publishing

Medical Writing, Tips

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, has sent shockwaves through various sectors including academia. While some have embraced its potential with open arms, others remain hesitant and reluctant about its integration at their workplace. It’s widely acknowledged that the efficacy of generative AI is significantly dependent on the quality of the training data. However, a notable concern persists due to the lack of transparency surrounding the origin of data being used to train the large language models (LLMs). Developers frequently work with a considerable degree of secrecy, leaving stakeholders in academia unsure about the origins and methodologies utilized during the training process. This opacity raises valid concerns regarding data security and ethics not only in academia but also in corporate medical and scientific communication agencies.

In the absence of robust policies for AI with respect to the training of large language models, it’s evident that the publication industry is polarized within two factions.

On one side, there exists a group of individuals and organizations who are willing to collaborate with generative AI model developers and believe in the power of working together to design an efficient system for processing and generating content. On the other hand, there is another set who opposes the idea of their data being used for training AI models and rightly so. They harbor a concern about the potential misuse of their client’s (in this case authors, researchers, scientists) data being used. This group is adamant about safeguarding their data from being exploited without proper consent. Each faction has its own set of reasons for its stance on this issue.

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Individuals within the group advocating collaboration with generative AI see a broader potential for such collaboration. They believe it could simplify researchers’ lives by providing access to a wealth of high-quality open, licensed, and proprietary content and data. They believe that well-trained LLMs could speed up accessing vast scholarly content, ultimately aiding the academic, research, and scientific community in achieving its objectives efficiently. Moreover, they are of the opinion that embracing generative AI in alignment with academic standards not only fosters efficiency but also maintains integrity within the research process. By adhering to ethical guidelines and respecting intellectual property rights, this collaborative approach ensures that advancements in AI technology serve to enrich scholarly endeavors rather than compromise them.

Conversely, the group advocating for data protection raises a plethora of concerns regarding the data utilization in training LLMs. They perceive generative AI models are engaging in what they term as “AI mining” of important research data. Their apprehension revolves around the potential for copyright infringement and unauthorized use of their data without consent or compensation. These individuals raise their concerns about the lack of control over how their data is being used for training LLMs, emphasizing the need for stringent laws to protect intellectual property rights. Moreover, there is ongoing discourse regarding the accessibility of the data used for LLM training, with some asserting that while certain datasets may be openly available online, access might be restricted to abstracts rather than full-text articles.

The crux of their argument lies in the assertion that the current practices surrounding AI data usage in publishing lack transparency and fail to adequately address the ethical implications of utilizing proprietary data for training purposes.

Another significant concern revolves around the absence of standardized guidelines and global laws pertaining to AI model training. As a result, publishers are advocating for comprehensive regulations to ensure transparency regarding the data usage for training AI models and to uphold ethical data practices. This demand reiterates the urgent need for clear and robust guidelines to govern the ethical usage of data in AI development, addressing concerns including transparency and accountability.

While the publishers express concern regarding data mining, AI model developers offer a contrasting perspective. They acknowledge the utilization of openly available online data to train AI models but emphasize that the generated outcomes on AI platforms are not direct reproductions of the original data. Instead, these results undergo paraphrasing, wherein AI models process the data based on learned patterns and algorithms. This point is crucial indicating AI models not just replicate the data, but they generate novel outputs from the existing data. Hence, it is essential to understand where the data comes from and how it gets processed in the AI models.

As we navigate through this complex terrain, it is the need of the time for all the stakeholders to engage in meaningful dialogue, to confront these challenges with courage and integrity, and to find a solution toward a future where AI serves as a force for good, enriching research and development. Utilizing AI for expanding the boundaries of human knowledge and imagination is one of the vital aspects of training AI for a better world.

By looking at the current scenario around the usage of generative AI, what are your thoughts on the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI data usage in the publishing sector? Do you believe that collaborative efforts between publishers and AI developers can strike a balance between innovation and ethical responsibility? Or do you envision a colluded space where research integrity is a lost case? Let’s engage in a dialogue where each one of us plays an important role in creating a responsible AI-integrated space for medical and scientific communications and uphold the soul of authentic research and transparent process.

Eight Ways to Improve Clarity in Medical Writing

Medical Writing, Tips, , , ,

Introduction to Medical Writing

Medical writing involves producing clear, precise documents of high quality to effectively communicate scientific, medical, and clinical data to a wide range of target audiences. It also includes regulatory writing and medical communications.  With the constant advancements in clinical research, large amounts of data must be translated to target audiences such as regulatory authorities, healthcare professionals, patients, and the general public in a clear, explicit, and well-structured format. Apart from thorough technical knowledge, a medical writer must have excellent writing skills to convey complex scientific information credibly and clearly.

Types of Medical Writing

Clarity in Medical Writing

Clarity is the most valued quality required in medical writing to ensure that the audience perceives correct information without any ambiguity. Lack of clarity is the major issue affecting timely submission of research/regulatory documents, publication acceptance rate, and, accessibility of scientific information to health care providers and patients.

Eight Ways to Improve Clarity in Medical Writing:

  1. Clear and Concise Language:
    • Writing in clear language makes a document easy to understand and increases readability.   It is advisable to use simple words to convey accurate information; using sophisticated words often results in confusion and misinterpretation of data. The best practice is to write simple, short sentences containing one idea per sentence for easy interpretation and keeping it concise by using fewer words to communicate necessary information without eliminating any important data.
  2. Avoid Jargons:
    • Using jargon may hinder effective communication especially when the target audience are non-experts in the field of interest. Though experts like scientists or health care providers are aware of medical jargons, it is always recommended to use simpler words and phrases for better communication.
    • When writing for non-experts such as the general public, it is best to avoid jargons completely. For example, writing ‘fast heart rate’ instead of tachycardia, ‘muscle pain’ instead of myalgia, makes it easier to understand.
  3. Avoid Redundancy:
    • Contrary to the assumption that using more words enhances clarity, it may in fact distract the reader from the original idea. It merely adds length to the document without providing any additional information. Do not repeat information that is already presented in the form of tables and figures. This can be achieved by limiting the overuse of synonyms, double negatives, and intensifiers.
  4. Know your Audience:
    • A medical writer offers services to a diverse range of audiences including clinical and regulatory authorities, physicians, patients, and general public. For effective communication, the scientific content has to be tailored according to the target audience. Even cutting-edge research would not leave an impact on the industry experts if it is not documented to suit their level of comprehension. Similarly, when writing for non-experts, the use of plain language is advised to enhance accessibility. Graphical presentation or images can be considered as a good option to convey complex information in a simpler way.
  5. Active over Passive Voice:
    • Medical writers are encouraged to write in active voice for clarity. It helps to present data in a simple, straightforward, and concise manner.
  6. Grammar and Spellings:
    • Good grammar is instrumental to clear and effective medical writing. Grammatically accurate paper conveys precise meaning and in turn keeps the audience engaged. Proper use of punctuations, hyphens, commas aids facilitate comprehensive communication. Similarly, avoiding spelling mistakes helps decipher the right information; a single error in spelling may change the entire meaning of the sentence. A common challenge experienced is with homophones (words with same pronunciation but different meaning); one needs to be vigilant to avoid misinterpretations.
    • It is also important to consider whether to write in British English or US English depending on the target audience and maintain consistency throughout the document.
  7. Formatting:
    • A well written report without proper formatting appears misconstructed. Often standard documents are required to comply with specific regulatory formats. Implementing client specific formatting guidelines aids in improving clarity thereby increasing the level of acceptance.
  8. Proofreading:
    • Once the document is written, proofreading the entire work is extremely critical to check for any inconsistencies or errors in spelling, grammar, abbreviations, capitalizations, and formatting. This step significantly aids in the dissemination of clear, accurate scientific information.

Conclusion

Medical writers play a crucial role in knowledge transfer among scientists, industry experts, healthcare providers, and the public. Accurate interpretation of sophisticated data is essential for good understanding. Articulating well-structured, precise documents can be achieved by implementing various techniques for improving clarity in medical writing.

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Diabetes Prevention Tips

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According to statistics by the WHO, “The number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014.” Also, “In 2016, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes. Another 2.2 million deaths were attributable to high blood glucose in 2012.”
It is astounding how many people are affected by this chronic disease. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough amounts of insulin for the body or when the body cannot effectively make use of the insulin it produces. Insulin is essential to the body as it is responsible for regulating blood sugar. Unbalanced (high) blood sugar levels are what causes diabetes.
Diabetes is categorized into the following four types:

Figure 1: Types of diabetes

Insulin is the hormone which is highly essential for maintaining proper blood sugar levels, for the adequate functioning of the entire body. If, for some reason the body produces unbalanced levels of this hormone, over time, high blood glucose can lead to the following problems:

Figure 2: Problems due to high blood glucose levels

 

Diabetes imposes many restrictions on life and one can take several steps to prevent developing it. Here are some of the suggested diabetes preventions tips:

Exercise daily:

The most common advice anyone can give to stay mentally and physically fit is to workout daily. The applications of exercising daily are endless and when it comes to preventing diabetes, it is highly beneficial. Exercising regularly increases the insulin sensitivity of your cells. This basically means that less insulin is used up to keep your blood sugar levels under control.

A study published on NCBI found that people with prediabetes who trained under moderate-intensity experienced an increase in insulin sensitivity by 51%. And people who adopted high-intensity exercises measured an increase of 85%.

Even though the results vary, it’s totally up to you to choose what style of training program you wish to follow. Straining your body will do you no good, but also taking it casually will never be beneficial.

Quit Smoking:

Smoking has been associated with many major diseases and conditions. It has been proven to be the major cause of many health conditions, which includes heart diseases and cancer to various organs, such as the lungs, mouth, breast, digestive tract and prostate. Tobacco usage has no proven benefits and even second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke can be very harmful.

A research paper published in 2012 on the NCBI website states that smoking and second-hand smoke exposure is linked to type 2 diabetes.

An analysis of over one million people, showed that smoking was found to increase the risk of diabetes by 44% in average smokers.

Once you quit smoking, the effects on the body it had seem visible as they subside. Smoking is closely linked to the risk of diabetes, and quitting has been shown to reduce this risk.

Avoid processed foods:

Fitness cannot be achieved if you aren’t doing justice with your diet. Any experienced athlete or bodybuilder will always say one thing, 70% diet and 30% gym is what results in a fine toned body. Processed or “junk” food damages your body from both the inside and outside. It is linked to various heart diseases, obesity and to diabetes.

These food products are high in vegetable oils, refined grains and preservatives, which when consumed over a long period of time, increase the risk of developing diabetes. Cutting back on these unhealth packaged foods can prove to be very helpful.

To be healthier, from both the inside and outside, it is recommended to adopt a diet consisting of minimum amounts of carbs and a diet high in fiber. Also portion control is one thing that people should be conscious about. Believe it or not, eating an unhealthy amount of healthy food can also lead to many unwanted problems.

Visit your doctor from time to time:

Get yourself checked annually. One of the best ways to stay on top of any disease or ailment is to be aware of it before the symptoms start to set in. At your annual physical, make sure to get a blood pressure check, an eye exam, and screenings for other complications such as kidney damage, nerve damage, and heart disease. To make sure you aren’t developing diabetes, blood-glucose levels also need to be measured.

Prevention is always better than cure! Follow these tips to notice a change in your lifestyle.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions aims to spread awareness about diabetes. We urge the people to exercise regularly and stay fit. Adopting a balanced diet and limiting the intake of sweet substances is highly beneficial and helps in cutting down the risk of developing diabetes. Smoking is one habit that should be dropped. Quitting the use of tobacco products not only helps with reducing the risk of diabetes but also other bodily diseases such as cancer and heart diseases.

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