Main description:

Primarily designed for students seeking careers in healthcare communication, this book also serves as a useful guide for nascent practitioners. Healthcare writing audiences are diversifying, from traditional physicians and patients to administrators in government and insurance groups as well as technical practitioners. Writing for these increasingly diverse healthcare audiences is the focus of this book, which has just enough theory to lay groundwork, plentiful examples to illustrate how theory is practiced, summaries that highlight key points, and realistic practice exercises.

In addition to the emphasis on diverse audiences, the book stresses the importance of the writing process, from pre-writing to final editing. The book includes writing checklists for completeness and accuracy, and it incorporates many helpful real-world examples of healthcare documentation.

Contents:

List of Figures and Tables
Acknowledgments
Preface

CHAPTER 1: PRELIMINARIES OF HEALTHCARE WRITING

Chapter Objectives
Thinking as Readers, Not Writers
Overview of the Writing Process
Inputs and Outputs of Healthcare Writing
Typical Documents for Healthcare Writers
Ethical Responsibilities of Healthcare Writers

Social Contract of Professionals
Ethics, Respect, and Sensitivity
Healthcare Writers as Advocates

Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 2: AUDIENCES FOR HEALTHCARE INFORMATION

Chapter Objectives
Primary and Secondary Audiences
Categorization by Knowledge Level
Writing Techniques for Audience Groups

Layperson-Focused Example
Administrator-Focused Example
Practitioner-Focused Example
Researcher-Focused Example

Focus on Non-Researcher Audiences
Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 3: SIMPLE STRATEGIES BY PURPOSE AND CONTEXT

Chapter Objectives
Audience, Purpose, and Context
Input Conditions into Output Parameters
Simple Strategies for Simple Situations

Spatiality
Chronology
Specificity
Importance

Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 4: COMPLEX AND NESTED STRATEGIES

Chapter Objectives
Complex Strategies for Complex Situations

Problem, Method, Solution
Classification and Partition
Comparison and Contrast

Nested Strategies and Signposting
Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 5: RELIABLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Chapter Objectives
Accessing and Assessing Healthcare Sources
Traditional Sources in Hard-Copy Format
Expansive Sources in Electronic Format
Expeditious Searches for Information
Effective Selection of Search Engines
Substantiation of Document Content
Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 6: EVIDENCE THROUGH TEXT ARGUMENTATION

Chapter Objectives
Evidence as Building Blocks

Classical Rhetoric for Persuasion
Induction and Deduction
Cause and Effect

Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 7: EVIDENCE THROUGH VISUAL DISPLAYS

Chapter Objectives
Evidence Built with Graphics
Tables for Data Compilation
Figures for Data Portrayals

Line Graphs
Column Graphs
Pie Charts
Other Visuals

Additional Notes on Visuals
Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 8: WRITING MECHANICS FOR HEALTHCARE

Chapter Objectives
The Power of Writing Mechanics
Building Blocks of Syntax
Hierarchy of Sentence Structure
Avoidable Problems with Syntax

Restrictive Sense of Relative Clauses
Misplaced and Meaningless Phrases
Active, Passive, and Nominalized Verbs
Pronouns, Expletives, and Other Foibles

Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 9: GENERALIST AUDIENCE OF LAYPERSONS

Chapter Objectives
Strategies for Laypersons

Analysis of the Composite Layperson
Constraints of Health Literacy
Plain-Writing Strategies for Laypersons

Document Examples for Laypersons

Educational Materials for Laypersons
Web-Based Information for Laypersons

Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 10: MANAGERIAL FOCUS OF ADMINISTRATORS

Chapter Objectives
The Growing Role of Healthcare Administrators
Establishing the Administrator Focus
Document Examples for Administrators

Proposal Requirements for Financial Grants
Processing Coverage and Reimbursement Claims
Summarizing Details for Executives

Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 11: SCIENTIFIC DUALITY OF PRACTITIONERS

Chapter Objectives
The Duality of the Practitioner Audience

Respecting Scientific Knowledge
Tailoring for Application

Techniques for Practitioner Audiences

Strategies that Balance the Duality of Roles
Mechanics that Facilitate Practical Use

Document Examples for Practitioners

Diagnostic Overview of Angina Pectoris
Protocol Procedures for Clinical Trial
Training Materials for Public Health

Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 12: REVISION TO FINALIZE DOCUMENTS

Chapter Objectives
Challenges of the Postwriting Stage
Microediting vs. Macroediting
Cohesion and Coherence
Diagnostic Tools for Postwriting

Automated Checks of Spelling and Grammar
Analysis of Syntax and Readability

Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

CHAPTER 13: LEGAL AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Chapter Objectives
Legal Responsibilities of Healthcare Writers

Governmental Regulations
Confidentiality and Informed Consent
Copyright and Fair Use

Evolving Responsibilities as Professionals
Chapter Summary
Exercises for Practice

Index