Clinician- and Researcher-Focused Materials
Producing Material
Writing an article for a peer-reviewed scientific or medical journal can call attention to your organization in an important way. If you feel that your organization has made some significant strides or contributions to some area of research or services, then submit a paper to a relevant journal. Collaborate with a researcher or clinician. Be creative.
While you may not able to participate in the creation of an article reporting scientific results, journals also publish editorials or informative articles, such as the effectiveness of advocacy, novel uses of resources, or implications of health care policy for your organization's condition. In addition, they publish letters to the editor.
Working with Existing Material
Many organizations find it helpful to have some type of access to scientific material on the condition they represent. Having the research findings alongside the clinical and advocacy information provides a comprehensive view of the condition, and is especially helpful for clinicians and researchers. There are, however, limitations on the reproduction of scientific publications, as they are often copyrighted academic property. Usually, the abstract (summary) of the research is all you can offer without express permission, and access to full articles can often require payment. It is important to weigh the costs and benefits before providing this sort of information.
- One of the simplest and fastest ways of providing research information is to post the abstract along with a link to another site where the full text is available (though there might be either a subscription necessary or a one time access fee). Always remember to include the proper scientific citation for the articles!
- Getting permission to offer full articles can be made easier if you have a private forum through which to share it, instead of posting it in a completely public domain.
- Instructing your members on how to obtain articles for themselves is another option. If the proper citation is provided, patients can take that information to their doctor, who can access it, and it can be reviewed that way. Many hospitals and clinics have medical libraries that may also have the article available to read.
- NORD is an organization that provides research articles for a nominal processing fee.
