The medical industry is a unique niche, and creating content for it is more complicated than any other niche. However, freelance content writers within this niche will create content that helps health care practitioners, medical staff, hospitals, clinics, and independent practices, connect with patients on a more humane level. It also allows them to reach out to prospective patients, offer wellness tips, and answer any patients’ questions.
A successful content marketing strategy will increase the reputation of one’s medical practice and will establish their authority in the field.
Even though the health care arena can benefit from compelling content, the topics covered are usually very sensitive and need to be carefully approached and cautiously addressed.
So, how do you go about creating content for the medical industry?
Ensure Your Content Complies With HIPAA
The medical industry content needs to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This Act ensures that sensitive patient information and data are protected. Strict adherence to this law is paramount; otherwise, considerable fines, lawsuits, and loss of licensure might result. The HIPAA may discourage content writers from entering the medical industry niche. However, the medical industry is booming, and it offers ample opportunities for content writers. It would, therefore, be a pity to allow HIPAA to keep you from entering this exciting and promising field. Try these practices instead to ensure that you abide by the law when you create medically related content:
Never disclose sensitive patient information. When sharing success stories, protect the patients’ privacy and ask for permission before posting, even when not mentioning their names.
Ensure that your content is not used to diagnose or treat an illness. Remember that you are not a doctor, and while it is permitted to discuss possible symptoms and treatment options, you should never offer an opinion on the matter. Instead, always refer your readers to medical care personnel.
Make sure that whatever you write is both research and evidence-based, and include relevant citations so that your readers can further read on the topics that interest them.
Focus On One Sub-Niche Within The Medical Industry
The medical industry is enormous and touches several different topics. Narrowing your area of expertise will help you write more authority-based content backed by relevant research and recent medical innovations. Depending on the sub-niche you choose to immerse yourself in, you will have a different targeted audience to consider. For example, concerned parents of young children in need of surgery will need a different approach than patients looking into cosmetic surgery. The content you create for a dentist will not be the same as that for a thoracic surgeon. And neither will your audience.
Consequently, you will need to craft accurate reader personas and delve into their worlds. What are their concerns, their worries? Why do they need to seek out medical information? Is it curiosity? Is it to appease their concerns? Is it to find answers to their questions? Or is it to investigate symptoms and possible treatments?
These answers will guide the tone and voice of your content to match the tone of your audience. Moreover, if you know who you are writing for, you will be better equipped to craft a compelling content strategy. For instance, if you are writing for a pediatrician, your blog posts could include information on vaccines, good hygiene practices, information regarding developmental milestones, toddler nutrition, common childhood illnesses, etc.
Remain Vigilant and Follow Medical News And Developments
As science improves and evolves and new medical research is conducted, you need to remain vigilant and follow the medical news and developments as they occur. New studies are published in scientific medical journals, and you should try to stay well informed and up-to-date with the latest facts and statistics. New breakthroughs will have your audience researching for information. If you are the first to offer the information on that particular context, you will be giving your client (doctor, hospital, medical facility, etc.) a competitive advantage.
Create Content That Acts As A Bridge Between The Doctor And The Patient
Patients frequently complain that they cannot easily reach their doctor to discuss their worries and concerns or receive answers to their questions that may come up following a procedure or a treatment. When working for the medical industry, your job as a content writer is to create a communication bridge between the doctor and the patient. Your content can answer some of the most commonly asked questions or create blogs that will work as a forum where patients can interact, receiving support from one another.
Are You Ready?
Deciding to create content for the medical industry can be a challenging task yet thoroughly rewarding one. Given the humane nature of the topic, you can create compelling content that will help patients put their minds at ease, answer their questions, and promote your client’s reputation as an authority in the field. The medical industry is a highly promising and profitable niche.
However, there are certain rules and guidelines that you must follow in order to avoid legal pitfalls. So, if you are eager to delve into this exciting arena but are unsure how to proceed, why not enroll in one of our writing courses here at Iris Writing Academy?