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What’s Next for Medical Writing? Top Trends Shaping the Industry

Medical Writing,

Our recent poll revealed that Artificial intelligence (AI) integration is anticipated to have the most significant impact on the future of medical writing. With a rapidly evolving healthcare industry, medical writers are expected to adapt to a dynamic environment shaped by technological advancements, patient-centered approaches, and globalization. This article delves into the trends that will shape medical writing in the coming years and what they mean for professionals in the field.

  1. AI Integration: Shaping the Future of Medical Writing

The poll results indicate that a significant 60% of respondents believe AI integration will play a pivotal role in medical writing. This trend is expected given the growing impact AI is already having on the field. From automating literature searches to drafting clinical study reports, AI is improving efficiency, accuracy, and productivity.

Key Contributions of AI to Medical Writing

  • Automated Content Generation: AI-powered tools like ChatGPT can draft sections of manuscripts, abstracts, and summaries. This reduces the time required for first drafts, enabling writers to focus on refining content and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
  • Data Analysis and Interpretation: Tools equipped with natural language processing (NLP) can extract and analyze data from clinical trials, research papers, and regulatory documents. AI simplifies complex data sets, helping writers present findings clearly and concisely.
  • Grammar Check and Translation: AI tools are increasingly being used for grammar and style checks, ensuring documents adhere to linguistic and stylistic standards. Additionally, advanced translation technologies enable seamless multilingual content creation, breaking language barriers, and facilitating global communication.

AI’s role in medical writing extends beyond automation. It enables predictive analytics and personalized content creation, offering tailored solutions for diverse audiences, including healthcare professionals, regulatory bodies, and patients.

Challenges and Opportunities

While AI offers immense benefits, it also raises concerns about data security, ethical considerations, and the potential loss of human oversight in sensitive medical communications. However, these challenges present opportunities for medical writers to upskill and collaborate with AI, enhancing their roles as content strategists and quality controllers.

  1. Evidence-based Writing: The Foundation of Credible Communication

Coming in as the second most influential trend, with 19% of the votes, evidence-based writing underscores the importance of accuracy and scientific rigor in medical communication. As healthcare decisions increasingly rely on data-driven insights, medical writers must ensure their content is rooted in robust evidence.

The Role of Evidence-based Writing

Transparency and Accountability: Evidence-based writing involves citing credible sources, ensuring transparency, and providing a clear trail of evidence supporting medical claims. This is crucial in regulatory documents, clinical trial reports, and healthcare guidelines.

Strengthening Healthcare Decisions: By presenting data from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical trials, medical writers help healthcare professionals make informed decisions. This approach supports the development of effective treatments and interventions.

Adapting to New Data Standards

The demand for evidence-based writing is expected to grow as data-sharing initiatives and open-access publishing increase. Medical writers must stay updated on evolving guidelines and best practices for integrating and presenting evidence in various formats.

  1. Patient Centricity: Putting Patients at the Center of Communication

With 17% of respondents highlighting patient-centricity as a key trend, it’s clear that the focus on patients is becoming more central in medical writing. This shift reflects a broader movement in healthcare toward empowering patients and ensuring they are active participants in their care journey.

What is Patient-centric Medical Writing?

Patient-centric medical writing involves tailoring content to meet the needs of patients, ensuring information is accessible, understandable, and relevant. This includes:

  • Simplifying Medical Jargon: Translating complex medical terminology into lay language, so patients can understand their diagnoses, treatments, and clinical trial participation.
  • Focusing on Patient Experiences: Including patient-reported outcomes and experiences in clinical trial reports and other medical documents.
  • Developing Patient Education Materials: Creating leaflets, brochures, and digital content that inform and empower patients.

The Rise of Plain Language Summaries (PLSs)

One of the most notable developments in patient-centric medical writing is the increasing use of PLS. These summaries provide a clear and concise overview of complex medical research, making it accessible to non-specialist audiences. As regulatory bodies like the European Medicines Agency (EMA) emphasize the importance of PLS, medical writers are expected to play a pivotal role in their development.

  1. Multilingual Content: Breaking Language Barriers

Though only 4% of respondents identified multilingual content as a top trend, its importance cannot be overstated. As healthcare becomes more globalized, the ability to communicate effectively across different languages and cultures is critical.

Why Multilingual Content Matters

  • Global Clinical Trials: With clinical trials conducted across multiple countries, medical writers must produce documents that cater to diverse regulatory requirements and linguistic needs.
  • Health Campaigns and Education: Multilingual content ensures that vital health information reaches diverse populations, promoting inclusivity and equity in healthcare.
  • Regulatory Submissions: In regions like the European Union, regulatory submissions often require documentation in multiple languages.

Tools and Techniques for Multilingual Medical Writing

Advancements in translation technologies, including AI-driven tools, are making multilingual medical writing more efficient. However, human oversight remains crucial to ensure cultural nuances and context are accurately conveyed.

How AI Can Support Every Trend

AI plays a pivotal role in each of these emerging trends. In evidence-based writing, AI tools can swiftly analyze vast amounts of clinical data, enabling writers to identify and cite the most relevant evidence. For patient-centricity, AI can personalize content by analyzing patient feedback and tailoring educational materials to specific needs. In the realm of multilingual content, AI-driven translation tools ensure timely and accurate communication across languages, fostering inclusivity. AI is not only a driving force in its dedicated trend but also a supportive tool that enhances the effectiveness of every other emerging aspect of medical writing.

Implications for Medical Writers

The trends identified in our poll reflect a dynamic and rapidly evolving field. To stay ahead, medical writers must adapt and expand their skill sets:

  • Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with AI tools and data analysis software will be essential as automation becomes more prevalent.
  • Continuous Learning: Keeping up-to-date with evolving guidelines, best practices, and new trends like patient-centric and evidence-based writing.
  • Cultural Competence: Understanding and respecting cultural differences will enhance the effectiveness of multilingual content.
  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Working closely with healthcare professionals, regulatory bodies, and patient advocacy groups to create impactful medical communications.

The Road Ahead

As we look to the future, it’s clear that medical writing will play an even more critical role in shaping healthcare communication. The integration of AI, the emphasis on evidence-based and patient-centric approaches, and the need for multilingual content will redefine the profession, offering both challenges and opportunities.

At Turacoz, we are committed to embracing these trends and equipping our team with the skills and tools to lead in this evolving field. Whether it’s leveraging AI for efficiency, adopting evidence-based methodologies, or focusing on patient-first communication, we are ready to meet the challenges of the future head-on.

For more information, reach out to us at [email protected]

Role of a Medical Writer in Publication Documents

Medical Writing, , , , , , , ,

Background

Writing is a medium of human communication to express one’s thinking in easily understandable but effective way. The strength of writing is displayed by its knowledge-transforming effects. Knowledge is vital at every stage of research-based endeavours in basic research, clinical research, drug development lifecycle, drug approvals, phases of clinical trials, and post-marketing research.  At each stage, this knowledge is passed on in writing to communicate the findings of research to the scientific community, clinicians, regulators as well as public.

Importance of publication

Publishing biomedical research, in the form of case reports, original articles, literature reviews etc. in peer-reviewed journals, is important. Doing so, augments understanding of health, diseases and their management, drug risks and benefits, and helps to improve medical practice benefitting the patients, health community and society at large.

Reasons to not publish

However, despite the fact that most clinicians and researchers understand the need to publish their work, this task may prove challenging to them because of various reasons including lack of time to write and submit, inadequate data analysis support and technical writing expertise, and lack of knowledge of publication practices and guidelines (1).  But, we all understand and admit that scientific information can be difficult to read and to comprehend. A poorly written information could easily confuse the reader and leave the audience misinformed. For these reasons, numerous papers are rejected by top peer-reviewed journals.

Medical Writing services

Medical writing is communication of scientific and clinical information in a clear, accurate, unbiased, and logical way to a specific set of target audiences such as clinicians, healthcare professionals, regulators, scientists, patients, and general public. This includes the preparation of different types of documents: Regulatory (e.g. clinical trial protocols, clinical study reports, investigator’s brochures, new drug applications, research proposals, informed consent documents); Publications (e.g. original articles, literature reviews, case reports, editorials, abstracts for conferences); Medical education (e.g. posters, continuing medical education (CME), e-learning modules, slide decks for meetings, brochures and internet content for physicians and patients); and Medico-marketing (e.g. literature for product promotion) (5).

Medical Writing – need and demand

There’s pressing need for effective presentation and dissemination of knowledge to accelerate publishing and decision-making in healthcare. Supporting this, a Portuguese report highlighted the importance of medical writing skills for successful publishing in top-rated journals (2). Furthermore, according to a report, global demand for medical writing market was valued at approximately USD 2.03 billion in 2018 and is expected to generate a revenue of around USD 2.95 billion by the end of 2025 (3). Even in India, the medical writing industry is on an upward growth path (4).

Medical Writer – skills and role in publication

Researchers and clinicians may be best at their jobs, but they may not necessarily have the skills to present their data in an effective manner. A medical writer (MW) is a scientific writing and editing expert with an advanced degree in biomedical sciences (e.g. MBBS, PhD) and robust understanding of biomedical and clinical research, reporting guidelines and publication practices such as ICH, ICJME, GPPs, CONSORT (6). He/she would possess substantial data analysis skills to be able to summarise and present even the most complex clinical research data in a coherent manner. This helps the researchers to achieve objectives such as getting their work published in a respected journal, receiving funding for research projects or finding acceptance of their work by their professional peers.

Therefore, the documents prepared with the support of medical writers are less likely to get rejected or retracted by the peer-reviewed journals as they adhere to the reporting and publication guidelines specified by the journals. Such documents are accepted for publication quickly as good writing fastens the review process as compared to the ones without any such support (7). All this suggests that a MW makes a substantial contribution towards a good quality research publication. In addition to providing writing assistance, a MW advise on the right journals for an article and offer support for editing, journal styling and submitting the manuscript for publication (Figure 1).

A MW has the ability to model his/her writing in terms of most suitable language and level of technical information depending on the target audience. For instance, the documents entitled for medical professionals usually include detailed clinical information or data while the ones intended for common people are in simple language and free of core scientific details. In regulatory writing, a MW is well aware of the prescribed formats and regulatory guidelines to be strictly followed in order to produce the high-quality documents.

MWs are not involved in the conception, design or execution of clinical research, so they are not listed as authors, but their contributions are mentioned in the acknowledgments section of the manuscript (8).

Conclusion

Clear, logical, and accurate writing reinforces the dissemination of reliable research information through good quality publications to varied target audience. MWs play an important role to speed up the publication process to meet the growing need for high-quality, timely publications. Clear understanding of the role of a medical writer in publication development will pave the way for their appropriate use by clinicians and scientists to communicate their research findings to the scientific community.

The Medical Writers at Turacoz Healthcare Solutions (THS) understand and abide by the reporting guidelines and publication practices such as ICH, ICJME, GPPs, CONSORT to deliver high-quality documents communicating scientific and clinical information. Turacoz is a medical communications company, which offers services to healthcare professionals in clinical research, regulatory writing, publication writing, medico-marketing writing, and support for conducting medical advisory board meetings.

If you have any queries, email us at [email protected].

References

  1. Sharma S. Professional medical writing support: The need of the day. Perspectives in clinical research 2018; 9:111-112.
  2. Marinho RT, Donato H, Fernandez-Llimos F, Massano J, Silva JM, Almeida M, et al. Think Tank: Relatório estratégico sobre publicação científica biomédica em Portugal. Acta Med Port. 2014;27:1-3.
  3. Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2019 – 2025. Available from: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/medical-writing-market. Accessed on 15 July 2020.
  4. Shirke S. Medical writing on an accelerated path in India. Perspect Clin Res. 2015;6:125-128.
  5. Bissau J, Borrego P. Professional medical writing: A tool for high quality publications. Acta Med Port. 2015;28:545–7.
  6. Das N, Das S. Hiring a professional medical writer: is it equivalent to ghostwriting? Biochem Med. 2014;24:19-24.
  7. Wager E, Woolley K, Adshead V, Cairns A, Fullam J, Gonzalez J, et al. Awareness and enforcement of guidelines for publishing industry-sponsored medical research among publication professionals: the Global Publication Survey. BMJ Open. 2014;4:e004780.
  8. Angela Stocks, Donna Simcoe, Dikran Toroser & Lisa DeTora. Substantial contribution and accountability: best authorship practices for medical writers in biomedical publications. Current Medical Research and Opinion 2018;34:1163-1168.

Working from home in pandemic: How yoga can be your best friend in this time?

Awareness Day/Month, Health & Fitness, , , , , ,

It has been weeks and months since we have stopped counting days being in this pandemic-driven lockdown. There is a unique quality to this day-by-day pandemic despair; this quarantine depression is edging humans into physical and mental stagnation.  According to an article I read in the Hindu couple of days back, approximately  12.2 crore Indians lost their jobs during the coronavirus lockdown in April 2020 only, which makes COVID 19 pandemic much more stressful for people.

Not only for people who have lost their jobs, but also for people who are working from home in this pandemic and trying to juggle between their family and work without any house help and childcare services available, that this pandemic is proving more emotionally exhausting than the virus itself. With an official Microsoft TEAMS video call in my morning joggers or stirring the ladle in a cooking pot with my official call in my earpods and with my toddler in my arms, I too am acing at juggling! Watching this situation very closely for past couple of months now, I feel a more accepting and holistic approach to this fiasco is the need of the hour.

We all know that there is uncertainty & fear and we all are multitasking around for the past 4-5 months, but instead of getting bogged down, coping with stress in a healthy way will not only make us, but the people we care about and our community stronger. The best we can do is accept the situation and take care of our and our family’s mental and physical health. One way that I discovered and loved during this period, is a 40 minutes yoga routine with 10 minutes meditation, to reinforce my strength and potential. Every single day for past three months now: believe me these are the most blissful 60 minutes I have from my day! I feel that my mind is calmer and more focussed; I am able to do one thing at a time, that too perfectly and my productivity has increased like anything. I am following a very good book ‘Light on Yoga’ by BKS Iyengar and practicing yoga from the same.

It can be anything, as long as you are present in the moment mentally & physically and moving, stretching and doing basic pranayama initially for 10 minutes in a day and gradually increasing to half an hour or 40 minutes; but please follow the same with 10 minutes of mediation (just focussing on your breath with closed eyes) and you will feel a positive change in your day. You can even take breaks in between your office calls and stretch your arms, necks or legs for 2 minutes on the chair or your yoga mat.

On the occasion of International Yoga Day 2020, I am sharing some of basic yoga poses which I have been practicing and you can also start with them as a beginner in yoga journey:

Trianga Mukha Eka Pada Paschimottanasana: Keeping one knee folded, try to touch your nose to the other stretched knee. It gives a nice and long stretch to your tense back and can make you ready for a long office call.

Matasyasana: Matasyasana or  Fish pose is a reclining back-bending pose. It relieves tension in your neck, throat, and shoulders and stretches and tones the front of your neck and your abdominals. It could be proven beneficial for all the creative people who like to keep their neck in the laptop screens for better focus.

Dhanurasana: Dhanurasana or chakrasana or wheel pose or The Upper Facing Bow whatever you can call, it can help—and strengthen your arms, legs, abdomen, and spine. For this one, you bend your knees and place your heels as close to the hips as possible and then slowly raise your arms, bend your elbows by resting the palms beside your ears.Floating camel pose: an advance version of Utraasna. This one is little bit of an advance yoga pose and maybe you will be able to do it after a month’s practice but the benefits are for sure worth the pain in the process. It increases flexibility in the spine, stimulates the nervous system, opens the chest and shoulders, improves circulation and digestion, and stimulates the thyroid gland. It’s said to rejuvenate/increase energy levels, and lower blood pressure.Sirsasana or headstand: and finally the king of all the yoga poses, The headstand. This is definitely a very advance yoga pose but is known as the most relaxing and cooling posture. It helps you to draw your attention inwards, to concentrate more, to focus more. This posture is extremely helpful if you are having anxiety, stress, fear or otherwise worrisome thoughts. Combine headstand with long, slow breathing and you have a recipe for stress relief.

So happy International yoga day 2020 people and I would like to leave you with a very special quote from my favourite yogi BKS Iyengar, ‘Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame.’

Good Practices for Conference Abstracts and Presentation

Medical Writing, , , ,

Medicine is an ever-changing science. As new researches and clinical experience broaden our knowledge, changes in treatment, and drug therapy help in improvising patient care management. WHO describes research as being an imperative element for settling public health challenges – whether it be combating the diseases highly prevalent in developing countries, responding to the alarming rise of chronic conditions, or ensuring proper prenatal, natal and post-natal care for women and children. Research is a structured evaluation to present the facts and reach new conclusions. Medical and scientific conferences serve as a platform for research sponsored by various organizations. These conferences are of crucial importance to disclose and discuss potentially practice-changing data of on-going research studies. The variation in the practices of different organizations makes it difficult to adhere to the good publication practice guidelines and conference requirements. There are no specific guidelines or recommendations to describe the standards for conference presentations.

Company-Sponsored Research

The company-sponsored research is presented in the conferences in the form of abstracts and posters. The scientific committee of the conference review the abstracts. However, they are not included in the peer-review process, as are the journal articles. Further, reviewing the poster and oral presentations is rare. A systematic review reported < 50% were published in full, following presentation at a conference after being accepted as abstracts. It is of utmost importance to attain a high standard process for developing conference abstracts and presentations, mainly for company-sponsored research, since it may ultimately become the only source for a particular analysis. The Good Publication Practices (GPP), Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT), and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and recommendations are followed for the conference presentations. On the other hand, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the most widely cited recommendations on authorship, is related exclusively to the publications in peer-reviewed journals. It is challenging to implement these guidelines in practice since they are not fully applicable to conference presentations.

Principles of Good Publication Practice for Company-Sponsored Medical Research

As per GPP guidelines, Good practice for conference abstract and presentation focuses on the presentation of all company-sponsored researches. GPCAP aims to provide guidance on good submission and presentation practice for scientific and medical congresses, explicitly addressing certain aspects where current publication guidelines are inadequate.

Some of the principles for practicing good publication are as follows

  • Ensure timely submissions of the study report guaranteeing complete transparency and accuracy.
  • Reporting and publication processes should follow the FDA, ICMJE, and EQUATOR guidelines.
  • Ethical guidelines should be followed to deliver originality in the abstract and avoiding redundancy.
  • The authorship, contributors (including the writing support), and the sponsorship should be mentioned clearly, ideally at the start of the research, and, in all cases, before publication preparation begins.
  • All the authors should have access to study data and other information; all named authors should review, approve the content of abstracts and presentations, and should take responsibility while being involved in the process of publication.
  • All authors and contributors should disclose any relationships or potential competing interests relating to the research and its publication or presentation.
  • The registration number of the study should be mentioned.

Recommendations for conference organizers

Conference organizers should:

  • Encourage and support the inclusion of contributor lists on posters and slides
  • Include the space for the trial registration number, medical writing support disclosure, sponsor details on abstract forms
  • Use Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) to uniquely identify scientific and other academic authors and contributors.

Encore Abstract

An encore abstract is typically defined as presenting the same study reports at different conferences to reach various audiences. Even though encore abstracts are not considered to be a superfluous presentation, some conferences accept only the additional findings that were not presented in any other scientific meetings. Presenting the same study to different conferences, the authors and the company sponsoring the research should consider submitting different parts of the studies to reach different audiences at various conferences. It should be noted, the addition of new data to a previously accepted abstract may not necessarily constitute a new abstract unless it is confirmed with the conference.

Encore Checklist

  • Ensure there is no overlapping in terms of the region, profession, etc.
  • Make sure there is no licensing difference between the two regions for the product/medicine of the study.
  • Ensure timely publication of the study even with multiple presentations.

Conclusion

Good publication practices are essential elements and the growing need for on-going and evolving researches in the field of medicine. The authorities and the committees around the world have put together the recommendations and guidelines for improving the accuracy and originality of the study presentations while decreasing the incidence of unethical writing practices; thus, preserving the authenticity of the study. Hence, following appropriate recommendations and guidelines can be helpful in putting forward the research in an effective manner.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions aims at encouraging the researchers and the medical writers in following Good Publication Practices.

If you wish to contact us, click here.

Email us at : [email protected]

[email protected]

Blood Donation: Significance

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The gift of blood is the gift of life. There is no other substitute for human blood. According to statistics, every two seconds someone is in dire need for blood. And only one pint of blood can save up to three lives. Data collected over a span of many years suggests that the blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.

Sickle cell patients are required to have frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives. And for cancer patients (with an estimate of more than 1 million new patients every year), many of them require blood, sometimes on a regular basis, during their chemotherapy treatment.

FYI: A single car accident victim can require up to 100 units of blood to survive.

Things to know about the blood donation process:

  • Blood donation is safe! Hospitals/doctors/nurses make sure that a sterile needle is used only once for each individual donor and then discarded/destroyed.
  • The process is simple. Mainly consisting of four steps:
  1. Registration
  2. Physical & Medical history
  3. Donation
  4. Refreshments
  • A mini-physical is done for every donor, checking his/her temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin count. Basically, to ensure that the donor is fit for donating, and if whether it is safe.
  • The real process takes around 10-12 minutes. It is crucial for you to stay calm if it is your first time donating.
  • The average human adult has approximately 10 units of blood in their body. At the time of donation, roughly one unit is given (don’t worry you still have enough).
  • Red blood cells can be donated every 56 days (by a healthy person).
  • Platelets can be donated every 7 days apart (a maximum of 24 times a year).
  • All blood donations are tested for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B & C, syphilis and other diseases, before it is transfused.

General FYI:

  • Type O- red cells can be transfused to patients of all blood types.
  • Type AB+ plasma can be transfused to patients of all other blood types.

Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Donate Blood (there is no denying these):

  1. First of all, it saves lives! What else is there to know?
  2. It is one of your civic duties as a responsible citizen.
  3. Not everyone can donate blood, it’s a blessing to have the ability to save people.
  4. If one day you need blood, you won’t hesitate to take it, so why hesitate to give it?
  5. It gives the donors a free medical checkup.
  6. It helps maintain an adequate blood supply in the community for secure blood transfusions.
  7. The feeling of satisfaction of helping others is unreal.
  8. Even though the cure for cancer is not discovered, yet! But donating blood helps keep someone alive while they wait for the cure.
  9. The real question is, why not give blood?
  10. Excuses are always vague, there is no logical reason as to why a healthy person should not donate blood.

Advantages of donating blood:

Donating blood is not only beneficial for the person receiving it, but it is also highly beneficial for the donor’s health.

  • Lowers iron levels: The body needs iron to produce red blood cells. But too much iron in the blood can be harmful. Too much iron in one’s blood can lead to it being deposited in different organs of the body, such as the heart and the liver, and this could lead to a malfunction in the way those organs function. Donating blood can help control the level of iron in your system.
  • Checks your system: Each and every person who donates blood undergoes a simple physical examination and a blood test before they can move on to donating their blood. Through these tests, hospitals can assess a person’s internal fitness and health. It is highly possible that a person could identify unknown health issues as a part of the blood donation process. The donor is tested for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B & C, and/or any other blood-borne diseases.
  • Burns calories: According to the University of California, San Diego, donating blood has been proven to burn around 650 calories per donation. Its like getting ripped without going to gym. But on a more serious note, donating blood cannot be considered as an alternative to exercise. Also, after donating blood try to hold off on going to the gym the very same day, take some rest.

Disadvantages of donating blood:

  • Dizziness
  • Feeling faint
  • Lightheadedness
  • Nausea

Note: These symptoms usually subside within 3 days of donating blood.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions aims to spread awareness about the benefits and advantages of donating blood. We urge the people to take part in this noble act of saving lives. We wish that people would actively contribute in this ‘gift of life’ and are working hard towards achieving a healthier future for the masses.

If you wish to contact us, click here.

How to Prevent HIV/AIDS?

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The world’s leading public health challenge is the HIV virus that leads to AIDS. In 2018, around 37.9 million people were infected with HIV/AIDS and approximately 1.7 million more joined the club worldwide. Only 79% of the affected numbers were aware of their HIV status and the remaining 21% did not even have access to HIV testing services. The death rate associated with AIDS has reduced from 1.7 million in 2004 to 770,000 in 2018 [1,2,3].

A brief summary on the HIV epidemic is presented in the Figure 1 [2]

Figure 1: Global HIV Epidemic [2]

Despite the advances in our healthcare sector and availability of a wide range of effective prevention tools, a large number of individuals with HIV or at risk of HIV do not have access to the prevention, care, and treatment [1]. A study reported that majority of the current HIV transmission is done via people who inject drugs, occurring in the majority of low and middle-income countries [4].

The advances in science have provided many tools to prevent HIV these days. However, to protect oneself from a disease one should be aware about the cause of the disease, with an understanding of how the virus spreads. HIV virus can be passed in the following ways [5]:

  • Having sexual intercourse with an HIV infected person
  • By sharing contaminated needles such as through blood transfusion or drug use
  • From an HIV infected mother to the foetus during pregnancy, or through breast feeding

Anyone and everyone is vulnerable to the HIV virus, but preventive measures can help one to reduce the risk of getting infected. Key approaches for the prevention of HIV are listed below:

HIV Prevention Medication [6,7]

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (prEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can greatly reduce the risk of contracting the HIV infection. According to the federal guidelines, prEP is considered for HIV-negative or people at a very high risk of HIV. It consists of daily medication and regular visits to a healthcare professional. This includes:

  1. Anyone who is in sexual contact with a HIV positive person
  2. A man who has sex with both women and men
  3. A heterosexual man or woman who have had sexual intercourse with partners of unknown HIV status.

PEP can prevent you from becoming infected with the virus once you are exposed to it. For this medication to work, it must be started within 72 hours after a possible exposure. It should be taken once or twice daily for 28 days. Use of condoms and safe injection practices is recommended during the medication.

An HIV-negative person has the following ways to protect himself/herself from getting infected:

Figure 2: Steps of Prevention for HIV-negative person

Treatment as Prevention [7]

This refers to the use of HIV medication to prevent transmission of the infection to others. An HIV infected person taking the medications as prescribed and has regular follow-ups to keep an undetectable viral load are at no risk of transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partners. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) to suppress the virus should be taken regularly as it prevents the virus from growing in our body that keeps us healthy and prevents illness. Women infected with the virus are recommended to take the treatment to minimize the risk of transmission to the foetus during pregnancy or delivery. After conception, the new-born receives HIV medications for 4 to 6 weeks. Figure 2 shows the actions to be taken to prevent HIV from passing to others.

Figure 3: Steps for Prevention for HIV-positive person

The United Nations organized the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) with an ambitious target to treat HIV with a 90-90-90 goal. By 2020, 90% of the people living with HIV will be aware of their HIV Status. 90% of the people diagnosed with HIV will receive a proper antiretroviral therapy (ART). 90% of people on ART will have viral suppression [1,7].

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions aims to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS. We urge the people to be aware about the condition. Following the preventive measures and seeking counseling is the best way to avoid this condition. However, for the HIV infected individuals it is best to continue with the ART and maintain a healthy diet. Nevertheless, with love and support from family and friends they can lead a happy and long life.

If you wish to contact us, click here.

References

  1. Retrieved from: https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/data-and-trends/global-statistics [Accessed on 26th December 2019]
  2. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/hiv/data/en/ [Accessed on 26th December 2019]
  3. Retrieved from: https://www.unaids.org/en [Accessed on 26th December 2019]
  4. Mathers BM, Degenhardt L, Phillips B, Wiessing L, Hickman M, Strathdee SA, Wodak A, Panda S, Tyndall M, Toufik A, Mattick RP. Global epidemiology of injecting drug use and HIV among people who inject drugs: a systematic review. The Lancet. 2008 Nov 15;372(9651):1733-45
  5. Retrieved from: https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/sexual-and-reproductive-health/hiv-aids/treatments/prevention.html [Accessed on 26th December 2019]
  6. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/prevention.html [Accessed on 27th December 2019]
  7. Retrieved from: https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/hiv-prevention/reducing-sexual-risk/preventing-sexual-transmission-of-hiv [Accessed on 27th December 2019]
  8. Retrieved from: https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/909090 [Accessed on 26th December 2019]
  9. Retrieved from: https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/hiv-prevention/using-hiv-medication-to-reduce-risk/hiv-treatment-as-prevention [Accessed on 27th December 2019]

HIV Awareness

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The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) invades the immune system and damages the host’s defense system and causes it to weaken against all kinds of minor and significant infections and cancers. Thus, gradually leading to immunodeficiency, which in turn makes the body susceptible to opportunistic infections. CD4 cell count typically measures immune function. As stated by global statistics about 37.9 million people were HIV infected in 2018, with a prevalence of 0.8% in adults.

The advancement to a stage of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), takes 2 to 15 years to occur if not treated, depending on the individual.

Signs and symptoms

The symptoms of HIV depend on the stage of infection. It’s noteworthy that people with HIV infection are highly contagious during the initial period. However, most individuals aren’t aware of this until the later stages. People may experience no symptoms or influenza-like illnesses, including headache, rash, fever, and sore throat. The progressing illness leads to advanced symptoms and signs, like diarrhea, fever, cough, without treatment; tuberculosis (TB), cryptococcal meningitis, severe bacterial infections, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, and cancers such as lymphomas and Kaposi’s sarcoma.

Transmission

Transmission of this dreadful disease occurs through the exchange of a variety of bodily fluids such as blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal secretions from infected people, and from a mother to her child during pregnancy and delivery. Individuals cannot become infected through regular day-to-day contacts such as kissing, hugging, shaking hands, or sharing personal objects, food, or water.

Risk factors

Behaviors and conditions that put individuals at higher risk of contracting HIV include:

  • Unprotected anal or vaginal sex
  • Drug abuse
  • Sexually transmitted infections (STI) like syphilis, gonorrhea, bacterial vaginosis, herpes, and chlamydia
  • Use of contaminated needles, syringes, and other injecting equipment and drug solutions when injecting drugs
  • Unsafe blood transfusions, injections, using contaminated and unsterilized needles, and tissue transplantation
  • Experiencing accidental needle stick injuries, including among health workers

Diagnosis

HIV diagnosis is made through rapid diagnostic tests that provide same-day results. These tests dramatically facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. There are self-diagnostic tests available to help test for HIV infection; however, a confirmatory test is always required, conducted by a qualified and validated health worker at a community center or clinic. The WHO pre-qualified tests are the most accurate for diagnosing HIV infection. These tests detect the antibodies produced from the infected individual. People develop antibodies within 28 days of infection. This period is called window period, during which a person does not experience any symptoms; however, he/she might transmit the disease to others.

All the HIV positive patients should be retested before enrolling for the prescribed treatment, to rule out any testing or reporting error.

While testing for babies born to HIV-positive mothers, the virology test is the test of choice and should be performed at birth or 6 weeks of age. New technologies are being available to help perform these tests more accurately along with delivering the results on same day.

HIV testing services

HIV testing should be voluntary and the right to decline testing should be recognized. Mandatory or coerced testing by a health care provider or authority, or by a partner or family member is not acceptable as it undermines good public health practice and infringes on human rights.

All HIV testing services must follow the WHO-recommended principles known as the “5 Cs”:

  • Informed consent
  • Confidentiality
  • Counseling
  • Correct test results

Connection (linkage to care, treatment and other services)

Prevention

Individuals can reduce the risk of HIV infection by limiting exposure to risk factors. Key approaches for HIV prevention, which are often used in combination, are listed below.

  • Male and female condom use
  • Testing and counseling for HIV and STIs
  • Testing for HIV and other STIs
  • Testing and counseling, linkages to tuberculosis (TB) care
  • Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC)

Prevention benefits of ART

WHO based on the results of a study conducted in 2011 recommended that all the HIV infected individuals should receive ART to prevent the transmission of this deadly condition. Also, a study conducted in 2019 reported negligible transmission risk of HIV in individuals on ART.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV-negative partner

Pre-exposure prophylaxis is recommended for all the individuals who are at a greater risk of HIV infection such as, trans-genders, hetero and homosexual couples, drug abusers, pregnant and lactating women.

Post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (PEP)

Post-exposure prophylaxis should be used within seventy-two hours of being exposed to HIV. This includes testing, counseling, treatment with anti-retroviral for 28 days.

Harm reduction for people who inject and use drugs

Individuals who use the injections can follow the below-mentioned interventions as prevention:

  • needle and syringe programs
  • opioid substitution therapy for people dependent on opioids, and other evidence-based drug dependence treatment
  • risk-reduction information and education, and provision of naloxone to prevent opioid overdose

Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV

HIV infection can be transmitted to the child or the unborn fetus through the mother during pregnancy or breastfeeding. This is called a vertical mother to child transmission (MTCT). However, this can be prevented with the treatment using antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Treatment

Treatment comprises of combination therapy with three or more anti-retroviral drugs. This therapy helps suppress the condition and does not completely cure it. Hence WHO recommends all the individuals suffering from HIV to take lifelong medication to lead a normal life.

The clinical research and health care system is continuously working to develop ARTs with better efficacy, tolerability. Use of dolutegravir-based or low-dose efavirenz for first-line therapy, and raltegravir and darunavir/ritonavir for second line as recommended by WHO.

Making the access to the treatment and prevention is the core goal for the upcoming year. And this aims to bring the world back on track to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

WHO response

The 69th World Health Assembly recommended a new “Global health sector strategy on HIV for 2016–2021”. The strategy comprises of five strategic directions that guide the countries and WHO to take necessary actions over six years.

The strategic directions are:

  • Information for concentrated action for the region/country
  • Interventions designed to have an impact on the variety of services needed
  • Delivering services equally to cover the population in need
  • Financing for the sustainability of the services in terms of cost
  • Innovation in acceleration towards future

WHO is a co-sponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS). Where it directs the activities on HIV treatment and care and the coinfection. It also jointly organizes with UNICEF, the work on elimination of MTCT of HIV.

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

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions aims to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS. We urge the people to be aware about the condition. Following the preventive measures and seeking counseling is the best way to avoid this condition. However, for the HIV infected individuals it is best to continue with the ART and maintain a healthy diet. Nevertheless, with love and support from family and friends they can lead a happy and long life.

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World Diabetes Day | 2019 Awareness

Awareness Day/Month, , , , , ,

The campaign “World Diabetes Day (WDD)” was launched in 1991 jointly by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to address the growing concerns about the rising health issues posed by diabetes. It was officially recognized by United Nations in 2006 and is marked every year on November 14th, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sir Frederick Banting, who along with Charles Best co‑discovered insulin in 1922 (1).

The condition

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia which results from defects in insulin, secretion, insulin action, or both. A long‑term uncontrolled hyperglycemia can cause damage, dysfunction, and failure of the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels (2).

Classification:

Diabetes can broadly be classified into two main categories:

  • Type 1: In this case, body’s own immune system attacks and destroys the cells in pancreas that produce insulin. Although it can occur at any age, but it is prevalent more among children and young adults who require daily dose of insulin to stay alive.
  • Type 2: This situation arises when body does not make or use insulin efficiently. it is the most common type and can occur at any age, but middle‑aged and older people suffer from this condition mostly.

Other forms of diabetes include: Gestational diabetes, monogenetic diabetes, and cystic fibrosis related diabetes (3).

Symptoms

Symptoms associated with diabetes in general includes:

  • Increased thirst and urination
  • Increased appetite
  • Fatigue
  • Blurred vision
  • Numbness or tingling in the feet or hands
  • Sores that do not heal

Unexplained weight loss (4).

Causes

  • Type 1 diabetes is a result of auto immune destruction of beta cells of the pancreas. It may also occur due to certain genetic and environmental factors, such as viruses.
  • Several factors are involved in causing type 2 diabetes such as obesity, physical inactivity, insulin resistance, genes, and a history of diabetes in the family.
  • It is believed that gestational diabetes can be caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy along with genetic and lifestyle factors (4).

Prevalence and some statistics

  • People with diabetes have risen sharply from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. Prevalence of diabetes among adults over 18 years of age has almost doubled from 4.7% to 8.5% within the same time period.
  • Prevalence of diabetes has become a serious health concern specially in middle‑and‑low‑income countries.
  • As of 2016, approximately 1.6 million deaths were attributed to diabetes only and in 2012, around 2.2 million deaths were reported globally due to high blood glucose.
  • As per an estimate by WHO, diabetes was the 7th leading cause of death in the year 2016 (5).

The campaign and the aim

At present WDD is the largest diabetes campaign having presence in more than 160 countries and a reach to more than 1 billion people. It is represented by a blue circle logo adopted by the UN resolution on diabetes on 2007. The color blue signifies the unity among global diabetes community against the epidemic (6).

WDD serves as:

  • Platform for promoting IDF advocacy efforts throughout the year.
  • Global driver to promote the importance of taking coordinated and concerted actions to confront diabetes as a critical global healthcare (1).

What’s in store for 2019?

WDD will be observed November 14th on Thursday this year which is just around the corner. On this day, millions of people around the globe organize events and activities raising awareness about diabetes (6). The campaign projects a dedicated theme every year which runs for one or more year. For the year 2019, the theme is ‘Family and Diabetes’ with an intent to raise awareness about the effect that diabetes has on the family and support network of those who are suffering as well as promoting the role of family in the management, care, prevention, and education (1).

Diabetes affecting family members

Diabetes can be considered as a family disease since the other members of the family somehow get affected if someone, specially a child is diagnosed with it. It is for this reason that it can be regarded as a form of chronic illness like any other chronic illnesses (7).

In a survey named DAWN2 involving 2000 family members of those affected by diabetes reported that 1/3rd of those experienced a notable burden and negative impact of diabetes, including effects on their emotional wellbeing, financial situation, leisure activities, and physical health (8).

Some of the risks, that family members of those affected by diabetes, experience, can be categorized as (9):

  • Biological risk: it has been shown that there exists a correlation (0.34 and 0.38) on BMI ranges of those suffering from diabetes and their partners. Partners of those with diabetes have been found to have higher BMI than their counterparts with non‑diabetic partner.
  • Health behavioral risk: a study involving multiethnic sample of > 500 patients suffering from type 2 diabetes and their partners showed that significant correlation exists between factors such as; consumption of fat, consumption of carbohydrates, total physical activity, and indulging in smoking and alcohol.
  • Affective/emotional risk: it is reported that female partners of diabetic patients have higher mean level of depressive effect. For male partner, the mean level of depressive effect was comparatively lower but still higher than that of the control subjects.

Role of family members in diabetes management

A family can play a crucial role in managing diabetes of the affected member. Having them involved in the self‑care interventions may help in achieving positive outcomes for the diabetics (10).

Families are required to share responsibilities and reconsider role of family as a result of diabetes. Reports have suggested that low level of conflicts, unity, and efficient organization patterns are linked with better treatment adherence (11).

The Family Approach to Diabetes Management (FADM) is a novel model that focusses on determining and exploring different ways of intra family communication having either positive or negative impact on clinical outcomes while keeping patient and family self‑management at forefront. It has been shown that engagement of entire family is easy to adjust as well as cost‑effective into standard diabetes care in addition to offering positive clinical outcome pertaining to general quality of life and A1C results (12).

Studies have shown that family members while participating in health interventions for diabetes care improves their own knowledge about the disease and inculcate skills necessary to support their loved ones. Family’s participation benefits their own health behaviors and health outcomes (10).

Turacoz Healthcare Solution is committed to raise awareness about diabetes management, prevention and educating people so as to make them help their near and dear ones suffering from this chronic lifestyle disorder to maintain and live a healthy life. Family’s engagement in diabetes care can significantly improve the outcomes and also make other family members learn about the management of diabetes.

If you have any queries, email us at [email protected]

 

References 

  1. About World Diabetes Day. International Diabetes Federation. Available at: https://worlddiabetesday.org/about/
  2. Diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. American Diabetes Association; 2013: 36(S1). 67‑74. Available at:https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/36/Supplement_1/S67
  3. What is diabetes? National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes
  4. Symptoms and causes of diabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. Available at:https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/symptoms-causes
  5. World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
  6. Getting Ready for World Diabetes Day 2019. Diabetes self‑management. Available at: https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/getting-ready-world-diabetes-day-2019/
  7. The family approach to diabetes management: Theory into practice toward the development of a new paradigm. Diabetes Spectrum. 2004; 17(1): 31‑36. Available at: https://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/17/1/31
  8. Family matters in diabetes. The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. 2018; 12(6): 911. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(18)30317-6/fulltext
  9. Fisher L. Family relationships and diabetes care during the adult years. Diabetes Spectrum. 2006; 19(2): 71‑74. Available at: https://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/19/2/71
  10. Baig AA, Benitez A, Quinn MT et al. Family interventions to improve diabetes outcomes for adults. 2015; 1353(1): 89‑112. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4624026/
  11. Ahmed Z, Yeasmeen F. Active family participation in diabetes self‑care. A commentary. Diabetes Management. 2016; 6(5): 104‑107. Available at: https://www.openaccessjournals.com/articles/active-family-participation-in-diabetes-selfcare-a-commentary.pdf
  12. Solowiejczyk J. The family approach to diabetes management: Theory into practice toward the development of a new paradigm. Diabetes Spectrum. 2004; 17(1): 31‑36. Available at:  https://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/17/1/31

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.

If you wish to contact us, click here.

Medical Writing for Disease Management Platforms

Disease and Treatment, , , , ,

Disease management programs (DMPs) are defined as “structured treatment plans that aim to help people manage their chronic disease in a better way and to maintain as well as improve quality of life”. The main components of disease management programs are mentioned in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Components of Disease Management Software

By application, the care management solution is classified into chronic care management, disease management and utilization management.

Disease Management Software’s

According to Markets and Markets™ report, the disease management software market is expected to reach USD 37.94 billion by 2027 from USD 14.12 billion in 2019. This may be attributed to the rising geriatric population and burden of chronic diseases.

The disease management software is used to manage, monitor, and process patient data by connecting to electronic health record (EHR) and other healthcare data sources. It aims to reduce healthcare costs and promote government initiatives to assist patient-centric care. The high growth in this segment can be attributed to the ability of these solutions to reduce the cost of care with the help of protocol management and prevent episodes of ill health through comprehensive health management.

To be included in Disease Management Software category, a product must have the following characteristics as mentioned in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Characteristics of Disease Management Software

Some of the examples of disease management software are mentioned in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Examples of Disease Management Software

Mobile Health Apps for Disease Management

Due to widespread use of smart phones and tablet computers, disease management via mobile health apps is easy and is expanding rapidly. Around 3.7 billion apps were downloaded in 2017 and is expected to grow by 16% within the next year. Many apps are available in play store and iTunes for clinical disease management and patient self-management of conditions including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and even autism and insomnia. These apps help both doctors and patients as money can be saved by patients and doctors can save on labour force. Some of the apps for chronic disease management are mentioned in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Examples of Disease Management Applications

Poor Usage of Disease Management Software’s and Mobile Apps

One of the reasons why the healthcare apps or software’s fail is because of the lack of understanding about the healthcare apps. Most of the health care apps get uninstalled either due to the highly scientific content which is difficult for the laymen to understand. Apps with very basic scientific content also fail to impress the audience. Therefore, it essential to involve a medical writer who has a scientific background and knows the subject comprehensively. The content for such software’s or apps must be developed based on patient’s requirement, target audience and should be specific to a region.

Role of Medical writing in Developing Health Related Software’s and Mobile Apps

According to Grand View Research, global medical writing industry is expected to reach USD 3.75 billion by 2026. Medical writers are involved in analysis and reporting of retrospective and prospective clinical trials, research methods (descriptive and predictive), health economics, and evaluation of disease management initiatives. Medical writers also play a key role in developing applications for mobile devices that are used in multiple ways, such as:

  • Disease management
  • Continuing education and training
  • Medical reference and information-gathering
  • Practice management and monitoring

The medical writer creates informational or instructional materials for use in health or medical context. These materials allow different audiences to understand health and medical situations or practices, perform certain health or medical-related activities, or use a health/ medical product/ mobile health apps or device. Medical writers must have the following skills to develop medical content:

  • They must possess medical and therapeutic knowledge, and must have understanding about the recent regulations and technical guidelines
  • They must have mastery in language and grammar, proof reading and editing skills, ethical and legal issues related to writing
  • They must have creative writing skills to articulate the scientific information in clear and approachable language
  • As scientific writers are involved in creating content for mobile medical apps and other disease management software’s, it is essential for them to possess instructional designing skills

Writer Groups Initiative in Developing Disease Management Programs

The heterogeneity of disease management programs has made it difficult to compare and evaluate different programs. The American Heart Association’s Disease Management Taxonomy Writing Group developed a taxonomy or system of classification to classify and compare different disease management programs and to inform efforts to identify specific factors associated with effectiveness.

The writers did a MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online) search on the terms heart failure, diabetes, and depression, together with disease management, case management, and care management. English articles published between the time period 1987 and 2005 were considered for the program. The following studies were considered:

  • Interventions designed to improve outcomes and/or reduce medical resource utilization in patients with,
  1. Heart failure
  2. Diabetes
  3. Depression
  • Clearly defined protocols with at least two prespecified components traditionally associated with disease management

A taxonomy was developed by the writer’s group with eight domains. A graphic representation of the taxonomic structure and subdomains are found in the Figure 5.

Figure 5: Taxonomic Structure and Subdomains

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions understands its professional responsibility and takes an initiative to make authors and medical writers aware about their role in developing disease management programs. Turacoz is a medical communication company that provides scientific/medical writing support to the industry and academicians.

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