Thought leadership

What Is Digital Employee Experience (DEx) and Why Should It Matter to Medical Writers?

By Alex Olinger / October 21, 2024 / Comments Off on What Is Digital Employee Experience (DEx) and Why Should It Matter to Medical Writers?

In today’s fast-evolving digital landscape, digital employee experience (DEx) is more than just a buzzword—it’s an essential aspect of organizational success, particularly for professionals like medical writers. DEx refers to how employees interact with the tools and technologies provided by their employer, from software applications and hardware to online services and platforms. For medical writers,…

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The Challenges and Benefits of Implementing e-Consent in Clinical Trials

By Alex Olinger / September 25, 2024 / Comments Off on The Challenges and Benefits of Implementing e-Consent in Clinical Trials

As clinical trials evolve in the digital age, e-consent has emerged as a promising tool to enhance patient engagement, streamline processes, and improve regulatory compliance. While the benefits of e-consent are significant, implementing this technology also presents several challenges that sponsors and clinical teams must navigate. Below, we’ll explore both the benefits and challenges of…

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The Flip Side of Lean Authoring: Navigating the Complexities of Cross-Functional Negotiation

By Alex Olinger / September 15, 2024 / Comments Off on The Flip Side of Lean Authoring: Navigating the Complexities of Cross-Functional Negotiation

Lean authoring, a method popularized by medical writing expert Gregory Cuppan, emphasizes streamlined, focused writing that delivers key messages without unnecessary detail. It promises efficiency, but the reality of implementing lean authoring within a cross-functional team often involves substantial negotiation. Lean authoring becomes not a black-or-white process but, rather, an exercise in grayscale methodology. This…

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Chronicles of Drug Development and FDA: Review, Approve, Monitor

By Alex Olinger / September 3, 2024 / Comments Off on Chronicles of Drug Development and FDA: Review, Approve, Monitor

For a drug to get on the market in the United States, it must go through a rigorous review by FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) (or, in some cases, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research [CBER]). Drugs are tested in preclinical and then in clinical settings to assess safety and efficacy.…

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Best Practices for Managing Information Requests from Health Authorities

By Alex Olinger / August 31, 2024 / Comments Off on Best Practices for Managing Information Requests from Health Authorities

Managing information requests from health authorities such as the FDA is a critical aspect of regulatory compliance for pharmaceutical companies. These interactions can directly affect the pace of your product’s approval process. To succeed, it’s important to follow best practices that focus on clarity, accuracy, and efficient project management. A key component to success is…

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Keeping Cultural Differences in Mind as We Create Documents

By Alex Olinger / August 16, 2024 / Comments Off on Keeping Cultural Differences in Mind as We Create Documents

As Americans, we tend to be very insular in our thinking. Since we don’t generally need to know another language, most of us don’t understand anything but English. Since we typically have far fewer vacation days than other countries, our vacations tend to be short. Our travels are likely to be something like a week…

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Ink with Integrity: Necessary Ethics in Medical Writing

By Alex Olinger / July 12, 2024 / Comments Off on Ink with Integrity: Necessary Ethics in Medical Writing

In the realm of medical writing, titles like “regulatory” or “pharma” may take center stage, overshadowing the less emphasized term “ethical medical writer.” This isn’t a downplaying of significance but a recognition that ethical considerations are the cornerstone of every medical writer’s practice. Ethical conduct is an unspoken yet powerful expectation and obligation. Each medical…

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The 2 Types of Remote Work Environment

By Alex Olinger / April 25, 2024 / Comments Off on The 2 Types of Remote Work Environment

We’ve all seen a lot of articles in the last few years about the pros and cons of the remote work environment. Regardless of whether they’re written by someone who is happier and more productive working from home, or by someone who insists everyone simply must be forced back into the office, I have noticed…

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How’s your posture? (Head, shoulders, knees and toes)

By Alex Olinger / April 11, 2024 / Comments Off on How’s your posture? (Head, shoulders, knees and toes)

By Karen Cross Simple reminders to sit up straight, stand tall, stretch and be aware of body alignment Many side effects can result from poor posture: shoulder, neck and back pain, circulation issues, dizziness and even depression, to name a few.  You can avoid injuries and unnecessary doctor visits and save your time and money…

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Hello, My Pronouns Are…

By Alex Olinger / January 1, 2024 / Comments Off on Hello, My Pronouns Are…

Pronoun conversations are popping up all over; and, luckily, they’re spreading to the workplace, too. As pronouns are deeply personal, it’s important that this part of a person’s identity is both respected and accepted at work.  To start any new work (or personal) relationship off on the right foot, introduce yourself with your name and…

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