What is the difference between medical and scientific writing?

Medical writing refers to the preparation of medical texts, while scientific writing is a more general term for the preparation of scientific texts from a wide range of research areas. Medical writing can therefore be understood as a particular, thematically defined area of scientific writing.

A medical and scientific writer commands a wide range of knowledge and skills, as he or she works in a broad field: He or she must master both - write both medical and scientific texts correctly from a content and terminology point of view, as well as elaborate these complex matters in lay language.

Requirements for medical writers

Medical writers do not necessarily have to be physicians, but a sound scientific education is essential. The most important requirements include the ability to outline complex medical and study-specific facts in a clear and technically correct manner, to elaborate specialised research areas and topics through competent and conclusive literature research, as well as a fundamental understanding of science and research. Legal regulations and ethical principles of research on humans are important guidelines here. However, a basic understanding of data and statistical concepts is also of significance: large amounts of data are usually processed, and these involve proficiently structured evaluation.

Writing for specific groups in medical communication

Linguistic intuition is also crucial: clinical study texts and documents are written in the respective native language as well as in English, and writing for specific target groups is a self-evident part of this. Targets of the study-specific texts and documents are scientists, medical professionals, regulatory authorities and, last but not least, patients and study participants, who have the right to a layman's understanding.

A variety of text types in medical communication

Text types include, among others, study-specific documents such as clinical study plans or trial protocols, reports of study results, publications, congress papers and presentations, as well as patient information that describes the objectives, procedures and risks of the study in a way that is understandable to the layperson.