The buzz around generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in medical communications, specifically medical writing, is often met with mixed feelings. Concerns about the impact of GenAI on the role of medical writers are common, but when you remember that the role of a medical writer extends beyond writing (eg planning, strategy and client management), you quickly realise that GenAI can offer so much more than role automation.
GenAI works by predicting the next most likely word or sequence of words based on the context it’s given, drawing from a huge dataset that includes a wide array of sources such as books, websites and articles. While GenAI does not have understanding or awareness, it looks at patterns in data to generate text, mimicking reasoning and knowledge retrieval based on statistical probabilities. With this in mind, GenAI can be seen as a sophisticated tool that enhances creativity and productivity but doesn’t replace the nuanced understanding and judgment that medical writers bring to their work. It empowers writers, rather than replacing human insight.
I experienced first-hand the ways in which GenAI can support medical writing by designing an AI-augmented literature review. This enabled me to work out what was possible with GenAI and appreciate the level of precision it can offer in the context of a large literature search. Not only did this help me understand where GenAI’s work ends and a writer’s work begins, but it also set a new benchmark for efficiency and thoroughness in the literature review process.
This in-depth understanding gave me the confidence to showcase the potential of GenAI during live demonstrations to prospective and current clients. In addition, after extensive testing, I was able to use GenAI to perform a brand analysis and create the initial draft of an omnichannel plan, illustrating how AI can transform marketing strategies and content creation processes.
These experiences were eye-opening, as I started to see the potential of AI extending far beyond task automation for writers. It is a tool to make yourself and your writing more efficient, more innovative and more valuable to your team and to your clients.
There are several key learnings from my experience of using GenAI in medical writing. It is important to ensure that GenAI tools maintain confidentiality and generated content upholds the highest standards of accuracy and integrity. It is also important to know when to stop pushing for perfection and to follow the 80/20 rule, in other words, prompt until content is about 80% of what you need it to be, then refine it yourself. Other tips for using GenAI in medical writing include starting with questions to set the tone and context, breaking down a larger task into its smallest components, and working with a living document to iterate the content to get what you need.
It’s also important to recognise the limitations of GenAI and to think beyond task automation, leveraging AI for initial content creation, content personalisation, analysis and interpretation, brainstorming, process optimisation, coaching and motivation.
In conclusion, the use of GenAI in medical writing can be transformative, enabling you to push your own boundaries and redefine what’s possible by efficiently delivering innovative and valuable content. As the technology evolves, it is important to continue to test and adapt, leveraging AI in creative and impactful ways to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
