Did you know that according to Rare Disease Day there are 300 million people living with a form of a rare disease resulting in over 6,000 rare diseases that have been identified? With this in mind medical communicators are essential to the field of digital patient advocacy. Communication amongst the online space with patients poses major gaps in the system. Medical communicators can help facilitate and fill these gaps and provide support through various modes of educational materials through digital platforms.
The following webpage has been curated in fulfilment of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s Master’s in Professional Writing & Communication program. This portfolio spotlights my experience in the field of technical communication for the medical industry. In this project I place myself in the shoes of a medical communicator to explore the vital role they play in patient advocacy for rare diseases.
A Medical Communicators Role in Digital Patient Advocacy works as an interactive blog that spotlights key benchmarks in the field. This includes defining the field of medical communication, the work they do and a detailed explanation of key terms. Likewise, a tool kit has been organized to showcase examples of digital patient advocacy in regards to the mediums I have produced over the course of this portfolio. Furthermore, I developed a blog featuring a series of spotlights, stories and informative pieces. Most notably, my series featuring spotlights from professionals at The American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders. This includes a series of interviews with the President, Executive Director and Communications Manager, who go into detail about their practice. With that being said I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I did producing it. The experience has been rewarding and I look forward to seeing how it expands in the future.