Winner
Addressing criticism, demonstrating value
Summary of work
How do you build trust and enhance the reputation of the healthcare communications profession? In an industry driven by evidence-based medicine, you generate credible and compelling evidence.
In a unique initiative, Oxford PharmaGenesis assembled a team of internal and external experts to investigate the value of healthcare communications professionals. Our commitment to the project was clear: we undertook to publish the findings regardless of whether or not the results were favourable.
Our study found that compliance with reporting guidelines in medical journal articles almost doubles when medical writers are involved. The quality of written English is also significantly improved with this support. Presentations of these findings won prizes for best original research at two international congresses. In the 2 weeks after publication of the findings in BMJ Open, the article was viewed over 2,500 times, and the social media response placed this work in the top 5% of all research ever scored by this method.
By showing that publication professionals really do help to report clinical trial results clearly and fully, Oxford PharmaGenesis leads the field in supporting authors and pharmaceuticals’ companies who choose to work with medical writers.
Judges’ comments
This brave work by Oxford PharmaGenesis took an issue of existential criticism and addressed critics at their own game. They turned it around to prove public benefit, by putting facts behind the work. The measurement of criteria was very clear and robust. They have driven the debate on transparency of clinical trials with this genuinely clever and innovative campaign.
