Medical writing is a specialist skill involving the articulation of complex scientific data and ideas in a concise, accurate, complete and compelling way. Medical author's work closely with doctors, pharmacologists, scientists and other academics to craft documents and content consistent with regulatory, journal or education guidelines.

Projects an adept medical writer may be associated with are diverse. Producing technical documents based on scientific or health research, articles for publication in reputed medical journals, promotional literature targeting healthcare professionals, drug-related education, internet content for medical websites, patient education material, proposals for research or clinical trials, or producing news articles are all common outputs of this profession.

Medical writers are differentiated by their careful attention to appropriate writing styles and target audiences. Writers adapt effortlessly to deliver technical or non-technical medical content directly to the general public, physicians or regulators. A strong understanding of regulatory requirements, comprehension of medical vocabulary and theory, and skills in structuring content for formal publications is mandatory; as is the ability to effectively research medical literature, scrutinize data and translate this into a structured and compelling copy.

The foundations of medical writing stem from the pharmaceutical industry. Increasing complexity surrounding clinical trials, drug manufacturing and expanding regulatory requirements prompted the realization that specialist skills in writing and document structure were obligatory. The adoption of medical writing standards expanded quickly and writers are now critical to a range of different industries and settings.

Medical writers may find themselves employed full-time working within healthcare companies, contract research organizations, scientific content organizations, media and publishing, medical institutions, academic journals or medical societies. Alternatively, medical writing is a profession where working independently as a freelancer is a viable and valuable option.

When searching for a skilled medical writer, of utmost importance is locating an individual with a strong appreciation of medical concepts and scientific terminology. Typically, a writer in this discipline will have achieved an appropriate level of mastery by way of academic qualification. Often medical writers hold certificates or degrees in medicine, pharmacy, biochemistry, microbiology, nutrition or another similarly technical and scientifically focused program.

While it is not always feasible, a writer will have an in-depth working knowledge of all medical projects. Hiring writers with a broad base of experience and the ability to thoroughly research a given topic is imperative.

Equally important is unearthing someone with appreciable writing ability. A medical writer requires expertise in clearly and concisely communicating complex data and concepts to target audiences, logical organization of thoughts and ideas, a high attention to detail and scientific accuracy. Selecting the wrong person can lead to a misinterpretation, factual inaccuracies, and can be extremely dangerous.

Demand for medical writing continues to increase steadily within the healthcare industry. If you are looking for an independent and suitably qualified freelancer for a specific medical writing project, you can locate a number of professional freelance medical writers at Freelancer.com.

Freelancer.com is home to a community of freelancers skilled in technical writing for a variety of disciplines. Browse the listing of professional freelancers, post a job for free, and attract the attention of contractors from throughout the globe.