These days it is hard to believe many clinical study reports because of numerous unethical practices. Many organizations conceal information from the public for profit and unfortunately. Though unintentionally, the tradition is carried on by journalists eager to publish something exciting.
As a news or media reporter, you should follow some guidelines in order to prevent misinformation and legal problems.
Here are some tips to help you stay in line with ethical practices.
Make Sure The Trial Was Registered
Publishing unregistered trials can be a potential danger to everyone who is in the medical field. It can result in penalties and affect the reputation of the organization that has conducted the trial.
Several media platforms also have specific guidelines for reporting clinical studies and do not authorize the publication of unregistered clinical trials.
Unregistered clinical trials often conceal unpredicted results which are of negative nature. They will also fail to be documented in the public record which is important to warrant and fund further research.
So, as a rule of thumb, make sure the clinical study is registered before you report it.
Verify The Facts
Since clinical studies concern human well-being, it is even more important to double-check and verify the facts.
You shouldn’t blatantly report or publish the information which has been handed to you. Check its authenticity and credibility with the help of a medical expert, doctor, researcher or someone you trust.
If you are presented with only a brief summary of the clinical trial, ask for the detailed version which clearly outlines the accurate outcomes.
Review Other Studies Conducted By The Organization
Before reporting a study carried out by an organization, check whether they have done other clinical trials in the past.
If they have done other trials which haven’t been published, you should investigate a little to figure out the reasons why the studies weren’t published.
Very often organizations tend to conceal information about their previous trials because they had negative results or outcomes.
This can prove to be very harmful because they are choosing to reveal only the positive parts of their trial without addressing the negative consequences or outcomes.
You should ask them for a report of their previous trials and have it reviewed by a medical expert.
Avoid Errors In Your Writing
While reporting clinical studies, you will be using a lot of medical terms which may or may not be familiar to you.
Make sure to research and understand unfamiliar concepts before you write about them in your report. If you are unsure about the spelling of specific terms, look them up.
Besides, you should keep in mind that simple grammatical errors can potentially change the meaning of your report.
This can result in medical misinformation so make sure you proofread what you write. If you want professional help with writing, consider hiring online services like Writers Per Hour.
Mention Who Can Benefit From The Study
There are thousands of clinical studies conducted each year but not all of them are beneficial. Before you publish a report, you should be clear about the following:
How is this study going to help people?
Who is the main target audience?
Will it help treat a condition more effectively?
What age group will benefit from this study the most?
What are the safety concerns and reported side effects?
Your report should have the answers to all these critical questions.
Take Advice From A Medical Expert
Get the final draft of your report reviewed by an unbiased medical expert. They should preferably not have any contact with the media as well.
You can get an in-depth review of the clinical study this way.
Conclusion
Go through some clinical study reports to get an idea of what you should report and the essential facts you should include.
You should also go through the reporting guidelines checklist posted on government medical websites.
Writing the first report may seem cumbersome, but once you’ve worked on a few more, these checks will come naturally to you and you’ll be able to write accurate and informative reports.