Main description:

This reorganized and updated edition of Writing for Today's Healthcare Audiences provides new digital supports for students and course instructors.

Designed primarily 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 and to technical practitioners in a widening range of fields. 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.

The second edition has been reorganized and expanded; new examples throughout refer to the special challenges of healthcare writing in a pandemic. A new companion website for students and general readers provides larger-scale examples by audience, more details on the review and revision processes, and communications skills toolkits; a separate site provides support for instructors planning courses around the book.

Contents:

PART I: BASICS OF HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATION

Chapter 1: Preliminaries of Healthcare Writing

Chapter Objectives
Writers Now Thinking as Readers
Overview of the Writing Process
Inputs and Outputs of Healthcare Writing
Typical Documents for Healthcare Writers
Chapter Summary
Exercises

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 2: Ethical and Legal Responsibilities

Chapter Objectives
Ethical Responsibilities of Healthcare Writers

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

Legal Responsibilities of Healthcare Writers

Governmental Regulations
Confidentiality and Informed Consent
Copyright and Fair Use

Evolving Responsibilities as Professionals
Chapter Summary
Exercises

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 3: Preparation for Collaboration

Chapter Objectives
Collaborative Nature of Healthcare Writing

Organizational Techniques for Teamwork
Interpersonal Communication in Healthcare

Team Scheduling for Writing Projects
Chapter Summary
Exercises

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

PART II: STRATEGIES FOR HEALTHCARE AUDIENCES

Chapter 4: Audiences of 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

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 5: Simple Strategies for Basic Situations

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

Spatiality
Chronology
Specificity
Importance

Advanced Variations on Simple Strategies
Chapter Summary
Exercises

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 6: Techniques with Complex Strategies

Chapter Objectives
Complex Strategies for Complex Situations

Problem, Method, Solution
Classification and Partition
Comparison and Contrast

Additional Structural Techniques

Nesting of Strategies
Signposting for Guidance

Chapter Summary
Exercises

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 7: Generalist Background of Laypersons

Chapter Objectives
Strategies for Laypersons

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

Document Examples for Laypersons

Educational Materials for Laypersons
Web-Based Information for Laypersons

Chapter Summary
Exercises

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 8: Managerial Focus of Administrators

Chapter Objectives
Burgeoning 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

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 9: Scientific Duality of Practitioners

Chapter Objectives
Duality of the Practitioner Audience

Respecting Scientific Knowledge
Tailoring for Application

Techniques for Practitioner Audiences

Strategies that Balance 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

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 10: Publication Materials for Researchers

Chapter Objectives
Publication Process for Researchers

Fine-Tuning the Research Question
Developing the Research Narrative
Selecting the Research Techniques

Common Structures for Publications

IMRAD Structure of Journal Articles
Reviews and Annotated Bibliographies

Chapter Summary
Exercises

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

PART III: TECHNIQUES WITH HEALTHCARE WRITING

Chapter 11: Reliable Sources of Information

Chapter Objectives
Accessing and Assessing Healthcare Sources

Traditional Sources in Hard-Copy Format
Expansive Sources in Electronic Format

Effective Selection of Search Engines
Substantiation of Document Content
Direct and Indirect Formats for Citations
Chapter Summary
Exercises

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 12: Writing Mechanics for Healthcare

Chapter Objectives
Power of Writing Mechanics
Building Blocks of Syntax

Phrases vs. Clauses
Independent vs. Dependent Clauses
Hierarchy of Sentence Structure
Conjunctions and Punctuation

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

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 13: Classical Rhetoric of Argumentation

Chapter Objectives
Classical Rhetoric for Persuasion
Induction and Deduction
Cause and Effect
Chapter Summary
Exercises

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 14: Evidence as Visual Representations

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

Line Graphs
Column Graphs
Pie Charts
Other Visuals

Integration of Visuals into Text
Additional Notes on Visuals
Chapter Summary
Exercises

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References

Chapter 15: Predictions for Healthcare Writing

Chapter Objectives
Predicting Trends in Healthcare
Innovations in Health Technology

Personalized Therapy by Precision Medicine
Remote-Access Care through Digital Devices
Machine Learning for Deep-Data Application

Equitable Provision of Healthcare
Resilience of Healthcare Writers
Chapter Summary
Exercises

Private Practice
Teamwork Time
Media Matters

References