Apart from connecting you to more patients, effectivePR distribution also improves an organization's credibility within the community and draws more talented physicians to a practice.
Identifying Types of Medical Press Releases<
Healthcare press releases can further be categorized based on their purpose. Some medical updates that organizations would consider sending out a release for are:
To present medical research findings
To introduce new lifesaving equipment
To raise awareness about a health issue
To announce the hire of new doctors
To confirm dates for a medical conference
The content and format for each may differ, but essentially, a medical press release serves the same function — to inform audiences.
Knowing Your Audience
Before crafting a release, healthcare organizations must consider all stakeholders.
This involves conducting a detailed analysis of the demographics of the patients, doctors, and researchers associated with their practice. Furthermore, it involves using that data to craft relevant releases.
An announcement about the quick spread of COVID-19, for instance, is of value to audiences of all backgrounds, while a medical update about a new treatment for children will be most valuable to parents, caretakers, and pediatricians.
Writing Tips for Healthcare Press Releases
Then comes the most crucial process — press release writing.
To be considered well-written media, communications must strike a balance between sounding too alarmist while giving out the right amount of verified information to make it interesting for the reader — and authentic enough for a publication.
Here are some best practices for medical announcements.
Follow the Press Release Format
A healthcare news release is generally expected to be written in a journalistic style. This involves adding all the crucial information — as well as answering the questions “who, what, when, where, how, and why?” — right at the outset.
The rest of the information follows in an inverted pyramid structure.
Usually, all healthcare press releases should include:
A headline, preferably catchy while conveying the point in simple terms
A subheading that explains the announcement in more detail
An introduction that includes all the most relevant information and answers the basic journalistic questions
A body that includes a detailed synopsis of the announcement and relevant quotes and statistics to back up claims
Boilerplate: A short biography of the organization or research team that can be reused for future press releases
CTA/Contact information: A strong note encouraging the reader to take further action. It can also include the organization or research team’s contact details.
Use Clear and Understandable Language
Reports from the healthcare industry often fall into the trap of using too much jargon. While this medical terminology may be easily understood by experts, it may be a struggle for the general public to wrap their heads around it.
One of the best steps when crafting effective medical communication is to be clear and precise with your descriptions. Simplify complex medical conditions to the best of your ability and ensure that there is no scope for misunderstanding, especially when making more sensitive announcements.
Incorporate Credible Data
The first audience of a press release is not the eventual reader but a discerning journalist who receives up to a hundred releases a week. To boost your chances of publication, ensure that all claims made in your release are correctly cited and backed up by data. Media houses have no patience for baseless claims or poorly-sourced releases.
Incorporate Quotes
Including quotes from experts and researchers is another practice that can help boost the credibility of a release. At the same time, these quotes can make a release more personable to a reader, even if they contain a large amount of data and statistics.
Multimedia Elements<
While writing a press release, also consider its visual appeal. Multimedia in medical news can be much more effective, so include relevant high-quality images, infographics, or even a video.
Fact-Check Everything
When reporting on healthcare industry news or findings from a medical journal, it’s essential to get all the details right. Nothing ruins reputations or creates panic more than a release that hasn’t been thoroughly verified.
Fact-checking in healthcare is thus an integral part of the press release writing process. It could involve getting information verified by specific experts or checking multiple sources before making a claim.
