Abstract
Substantial confusion exists about the role of medical writers and editors (hereafter, medical communicators) in medical publication. Much of the confusion is due to the failure to recognize the difference between terms. Ghostwriting is unethical, whereas professional medical communication refers to legitimate writing and editing services provided by individuals who comply with ethical guidelines. The purpose of this article is to shed light on this subject by reviewing relevant guidelines and by providing practical tips for authors interested in collaborating with medical communicators. Specifically, this article addresses a series of questions, such as what to expect from medical communicators, how to evaluate them, and how to collaborate ethically and efficiently with them. To ensure that the process is ethical, authors should begin collaborating with the medical communicator early in the process, continue doing so throughout manuscript development, and control manuscript content. In addition, authors should disclose substantial contributions and funding sources of the medical communicator and all other individuals not meeting authorship criteria. To ensure that the process is efficient, authors should delegate time-consuming technical writing and editing tasks to the medical communicator.
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Abbreviations
- AMWA:
-
American Medical Writers Association
- BELS:
-
The Board of Editors in the Life Sciences
- CONSORT:
-
Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials
- COPE:
-
Committee on Publication Ethics
- CSE:
-
Council of Science Editors
- EMWA:
-
European Medical Writers Association
- EQUATOR:
-
Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research
- GPP2:
-
Good Publication Practice (GPP2) for Communicating Company-Sponsored Medical Research
- ICMJE:
-
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
- ISMPP:
-
The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals
- MOOSE:
-
Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology
- PRISMA:
-
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
- SOP:
-
Standard operating procedure
- STARD:
-
Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies
- STROBE:
-
Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology
- WAME:
-
World Association of Medical Editors
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Acknowledgments
The author received no specific funding for this article. The author has published and presented papers on ethical medical communication practices, is a member of professional associations for medical communicators, and provides professional medical communication services to authors from academic, biotechnology, medical device, and pharmaceutical organizations. I thank Anne K. Derbes for editing this manuscript.
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Based on a lecture delivered at an international conference “Current challenges in medical communication: diagnosing and curing unethical practices” organized by the Polish Academy of Sciences on October 7, 2010 in Warsaw.
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Hamilton, C.W. Don’t Get Spooked! How to Collaborate with a Professional Medical Communicator (And Avoid Ghostwriting). Arch. Immunol. Ther. Exp. 58, 255–261 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00005-010-0080-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00005-010-0080-3