Penning for the Public

Writing for Patients and the Public

Patients and the public are key audiences for medical writers, but also surprisingly challenging to write for – especially when that pesky jargon continues slipping its way into your copy.

Level up your writing skills as this course guides you through the different types of materials you could create for patients and the public. Learn how to write in plain English, so you can make sure you suit your audience’s learning and understanding level, and help your messages to come across as clearly as possible.

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Course overview

Learning outcomes

  • Describe how patients and patient organisations have become pivotal stakeholders in drug development and science communication

  • Define the different types of content you may encounter when writing for patients or the public

  • Adapt your writing style to meet the needs of a lay audience, with targeted, impactful copy
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Who's it for?
This course is ideal for medical writers are looking to gain more experience in creating content for lay audiences.
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What's included?
  • Pre-recorded expert instructor videos
  • Writing tasks based on real agency briefs
  • Knowledge checkpoints throughout the module
  • A final multiple-choice assessment
  • A printable module summary and workbook
  • Certification upon completion

Course content

Patients, the public and the healthcare industry

Understand the importance of the patient voice when writing for patients and the public

Adapting your writing for patients and the public

Learn about the importance of health literacy and ensuring quality in your communications

Content for patients
and the public

Review a variety of materials that you could create for patient and public audiences

Writing task

Put your knowledge into practice, with a writing task designed to test your skills

Meet your course leader

Dr Caroline Bradley

Caroline is a Principal Medical Writer with a vast background including a post-doc in industry, lecturing, teaching and med comms. She fuses expertise in medical writing and teaching to head up the Monster Academy, while empowering medical writers to foster a growth mindset.
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Our team

The Monster Academy team are expert medical writers with more than 100 years combined experience in the field. Whether its clinical studies, promotional tools or patient support materials, they've seen it all and they're ready to share their tips with you!
Don't hesitate

Sign up for Penning for the Public today!

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