As a continuing medical education (CME) writer, you're no stranger to crafting compelling educational content. But have you considered the untapped potential of helping your clients develop peer-reviewed journal articles—or writing one yourself? Whether you're looking to publish your own work or help clients share their insights, the world of scholarly publishing offers exciting opportunities for CME writers. 

CME has undergone significant changes in recent years, shifting from traditional lecture-based formats to more interactive, outcomes-focused approaches that seek to support clinical practice and behavior change. This evolution has created new opportunities for CME writers to help education providers contribute to the scholarly literature. 

You Have a Unique Blend of Skills as a CME Writer

A recent conversation with a market research acquaintance turned to the topic of writing and publishing. She was keen to write about some of the methodological and ethical challenges she had encountered while collecting cross-cultural qualitative data on body maintenance for an intimate hygiene product client. 

However, my colleague observed that on-the-ground market researchers tend to shy away from writing or publishing in peer-reviewed journals and leave that to academic researchers. 

I see the same trend in CME. Even though CME providers have a breadth of experience and invaluable insights to share, when a client or colleague tells me about the thoughtful work they are doing, I ask if they’re planning to write about their experience and insights. 

Inevitably, the answer is, “no.” It just feels too daunting. "I'm not a writer," they often say, or "I don't have anything new to contribute." Sound familiar?

Maybe you've seen the same phenomenon. Your client has observations they’re eager to share with colleagues, but they can't imagine sharing them in a journal article.  

But here's the thing: As a CME writer, you possess a unique blend of subject matter expertise and writing skills that make you perfectly suited for this task. So let’s explore how you can leverage your talents to help education providers publish in peer-reviewed journals, enhancing both your skillset and your clients' impact in the healthcare community.

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Types of CME Manuscripts

There are several types of CME content that education providers can consider for publication, including outcomes studies, case studies, best practices, and commentary on new educational methods. As a CME writer who might be tasked with writing or drafting manuscripts for clients it's important to be familiar with different manuscript types. 

Common formats include:

Literature reviews. A literature review provides a comprehensive overview and synthesis of existing findings in the literature on a particular topic. A review can showcase clinical practice gaps and education need, identify areas where research is lacking, and describe the practical applications of findings from  education activities.

Case studies. CME writers often develop detailed case studies illustrating important clinical findings, diagnostic challenges, treatment decisions, and outcomes from education activities, like this one on gender-affirming care in HIV.

Clinical practice updates. These articles focus on recent advances or changes in medical practice. They highlight new treatment options, diagnostic criteria updates, or emerging trends in a specific medical specialty and the implications of these advancements on patient populations.

Methodology. Publishing allows CME providers to showcase adult learning principles they have applied and the methodologies they used to collect and analyze data.

Educational outcomes. Given CME’s focus on measurable outcomes and practice change, you can help clients and also author research articles that detailing novel findings about CME initiatives based on pre and post-intervention outcomes data, long-term follow-up results, cost-effectiveness of educational interventions and more.

Technology Integration: With the rise of online learning platforms and mobile apps, there's growing interest in how technology impacts CME. Consider the following topics as areas worthy of exploration:

• Effectiveness of virtual/augmented reality or simulation in CME

• Impact of gamification on learner engagement

• Use of AI in personalizing CME experiences

Interprofessional Continuing Education: As healthcare becomes more team-based, interprofessional continuing education (IPCE) is gaining prominence. Look for opportunities to encourage your clients to write about (or write yourself):

• Collaborative learning models

• Outcomes of team-based educational interventions

• Challenges and solutions in implementing IPCE programs

By publishing, education providers can establish themselves as preferred providers, secure funding for educational grants, raise the bar for the CME enterprise, and, in so doing, increase participation in CME programs and activities. 

How CME Writers Contribute to Manuscripts

As a CME writer, plenty of clients need your help with the publication process. Here are a few ways your expertise as a medical writer makes you the perfect candidate to assist in manuscript publication.

Develop a publication plan. You could encourage your clients to map out potential publications concurrently when planning education programs. When tied to clearly articulated program goals, this strategy allows clients to consider publishing materialthroughout the program's cycle.

Writing, editing, and organizing . Your clinical, research,or academic background, combined with your writing skills allows you to develop outlines, organize ideas, draft manuscripts,, and edit for accuracy, flow, and clarity. 

Performing literature searches. Your experience in finding credible sources through literature searches helps clients identify and evaluate relevant research to frame their manuscripts effectively.

Choosing the right journal. When education providers enage CME writers to help them prepare a manuscript for submission ot a peer-reviewed journal, they often need help identifying relvant vehicles. You can help clients identify suitable journals that target the audiences they want to reach.

Navigating the peer-review process. If you’re familiar with the peer review process you can guide your clients through manuscript preparation, submission, and responding to feedback. 

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How to Find Clients Who Need Support with Peer-Reviewed Articles

If you're keen to help clients with their manuscripts, you're in luck! Few CME providers count manuscript writing as part of their skillset. So, how can you find your first manuscript-writing client?

Use your network

Ask current or past clients if they need help with any manuscript needs, or make them aware that writing, editing, and helping with the journal publication process is a service you're now offering. You can also use your social networks, website, and professional profiles to promote your manuscript writing services.

Professional networking services like LinkedIn will also help you connect with potential CME clients who need manuscript writing support.

Tailor your portfolio

A common rule of thumb most medical writers are familiar with is to tailor their portfolios to receive the work they'd like to attract. If you're actively looking to work on peer-reviewed journal articles, include samples of any journal articles you've collaborated on or written yourself in your portfolio.

If you don't have any, write a mock abstract or outline a manuscript for your ideal client on a topic you'd like to write about.

And if you need to brush up on your skills on how to write certain parts of a journal article, consider a course like Scientific Writing Masterclass from Redwood Ink.

Resources For Working on a Manuscript

Here's our non-comprehensive list of resources to aid any CME writer while they work on a manuscript!

Authorship Guidelines

As with any CME deliverable, manuscripts need to be fair and balanced, presenting an unbiased view of the topic at hand. We strongly recommend reviewing the International Council of Medical Journal Editor (ICMJE) recommendations for authorship. They offer additional helpful resources, including:

• A list of journals that adhere to ICMJE recommendations

• Resources for manuscript preparation and submission

• Guidelines for publishing and editorial issues

AI Guidelines

As with any writing, use AI responsibly. Most journals require a statement of AI use. The U.S. Copyright Office also published new guidelines on copyright that set clear boundaries for AI-generated works. These new guidelines state that outputs created solely by AI cannot be granted copyright protection, while ensuring that human creators who use AI as an aid retain their rights.
The employment of AI tools to support, rather than replace, human creativity does not impact the eligibility for copyright protection of the resulting work.

Reference Software

As with many CME materials, references can quickly get out of hand when writing a manuscript! Here are some of our favorite reference softwares to make life a little easier:

• Zotero

• EndNote

• Mendeley

There is no "right" or "best" software - just the one that works best for you. 

Diversify Your Offerings with CME Manuscript Writing

An important part of every medical writer’s career is the ability to adapt. By expanding your offerings into manuscript writing, whether you’re publishing your own article, co-authoring, contributing, or providing manuscript assistance, you can increase the services you offer and ensure you continue to thrive as a medical writer. 

Learning how to contribute to peer reviewed journal articles is no easy feat, of course, and that’s where we can help. WriteCME Pro is our supportive community of medical writers, led by someone who’s been where you are now.

We give CME writers the foundations they need to succeed in a supportive community. Join WriteCME Pro today for one-to-one mentoring, group coaching, and lifelong learning.