Writing for Today's Healthcare Audiences

Primarily designed 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 as well as technical practitioners. 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. In addition to the emphasis on diverse audiences, the book stresses the importance of the writing process, from pre-writing to final editing. The book includes writing checklists for completeness and accuracy, and it incorporates many helpful real-world examples of healthcare documentation.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures and Tables Acknowledgments Preface CHAPTER 1: PRELIMINARIES OF HEALTHCARE WRITING Chapter Objectives Thinking as Readers, Not Writers Overview of the Writing Process Inputs and Outputs of Healthcare Writing Typical Documents for Healthcare Writers Ethical Responsibilities of Healthcare Writers Social Contract of Professionals Ethics, Respect, and Sensitivity Healthcare Writers as Advocates Chapter Summary Exercises for Practice CHAPTER 2: AUDIENCES FOR 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 for Practice CHAPTER 3: SIMPLE STRATEGIES BY PURPOSE AND CONTEXT Chapter Objectives Audience, Purpose, and Context Input Conditions into Output Parameters Simple Strategies for Simple Situations Spatiality Chronology Specificity Importance Chapter Summary Exercises for Practice CHAPTER 4: COMPLEX AND NESTED STRATEGIES Chapter Objectives Complex Strategies for Complex Situations Problem, Method, Solution Classification and Partition Comparison and Contrast Nested Strategies and Signposting Chapter Summary Exercises for Practice CHAPTER 5: RELIABLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION Chapter Objectives Accessing and Assessing Healthcare Sources Traditional Sources in Hard-Copy Format Expansive Sources in Electronic Format Expeditious Searches for Information Effective Selection of Search Engines Substantiation of Document Content Chapter Summary Exercises for Practice CHAPTER 6: EVIDENCE THROUGH TEXT ARGUMENTATION Chapter Objectives Evidence as Building Blocks Classical Rhetoric for Persuasion Induction and Deduction Cause and Effect Chapter Summary Exercises for Practice CHAPTER 7: EVIDENCE THROUGH VISUAL DISPLAYS Chapter Objectives Evidence Built with Graphics Tables for Data Compilation Figures for Data Portrayals Line Graphs Column Graphs Pie Charts Other Visuals Additional Notes on Visuals Chapter Summary Exercises for Practice CHAPTER 8: WRITING MECHANICS FOR HEALTHCARE Chapter Objectives The Power of Writing Mechanics Building Blocks of Syntax Hierarchy of Sentence Structure 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 for Practice CHAPTER 9: GENERALIST AUDIENCE OF LAYPERSONS Chapter Objectives Strategies for Laypersons Analysis of the Composite Layperson Constraints of Health Literacy Plain-Writing Strategies for Laypersons Document Examples for Laypersons Educational Materials for Laypersons Web-Based Information for Laypersons Chapter Summary Exercises for Practice CHAPTER 10: MANAGERIAL FOCUS OF ADMINISTRATORS Chapter Objectives The Growing 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 for Practice CHAPTER 11: SCIENTIFIC DUALITY OF PRACTITIONERS Chapter Objectives The Duality of the Practitioner Audience Respecting Scientific Knowledge Tailoring for Application Techniques for Practitioner Audiences Strategies that Balance the 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 for Practice CHAPTER 12: REVISION TO FINALIZE DOCUMENTS Chapter Objectives Challenges of the Postwriting Stage Microediting vs. Macroediting Cohesion and Coherence Diagnostic Tools for Postwriting Automated Checks of Spelling and Grammar Analysis of Syntax and Readability Chapter Summary Exercises for Practice CHAPTER 13: LEGAL AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES Chapter Objectives Legal Responsibilities of Healthcare Writers Governmental Regulations Confidentiality and Informed Consent Copyright and Fair Use Evolving Responsibilities as Professionals Chapter Summary Exercises for Practice Index

About the Author :
Robert J. Bonk is Professor of Professional Writing and Director of Professional Writing Programs at Widener University.

Review :
“Robert J. Bonk, the noted authority on writing in the pharmaceutical industry, provides highly useful and sensible coverage of what writers need to know to craft texts within a range of healthcare professions. In concise chapters that make good use of sample documents from many medical contexts, Bonk relies on a solid rhetorical underpinning to encourage writers to be alert to the importance of purpose, audience, and genre in designing medical documents. He covers the practicalities of researching and writing from medical sources, and he offers advice on designing both documents and their accompanying visuals. Bonk’s book should prove popular on many campuses in the growing number of undergraduate courses in healthcare communication.” — Stephen A. Bernhardt, University of Delaware “I particularly value Bonk’s attention to the different kinds of potential audiences for healthcare information, the purposes the writing might need to serve, and the ethics involved in presenting such material. Putting ethics right up front, then showing how those ethics apply (even at the beginning of the process when you are selecting sources of information), is an essential part of becoming an effective healthcare writer. This book is also notable for how well it integrates the mechanics of clear communication with real-world examples of texts healthcare writers need to produce.” — Lili Fox Vélez, Scientific Writer and Editor