Medical Content Creation: What Procedure?

We described how to use an image or photo for medical content creation in the 4/29/22 blog post and we followed it with an example in the 4/30/22 blog post. So, we are going to move on to another medical content idea generator…procedures! Of course, there is some crossover with the image or photo post because you can use a photo of a procedure to create content around. But, as far as a topic goes, discussing a medical procedure, in and of itself, has immense opportunity to generate content in a variety of ways. So, I am going to focus on the topic of procedures and delve deeper into how content can be generated by the idea and not just a photo or image.

There are many facets of a procedure that can be used to generate medical content. However, you have to account for your audience. Discussions about medical procedures can get quite technical and you want to discuss what may be of most interest to your audience and relay it at the appropriate level of complexity for optimal understanding and appreciation. Your audience may be other medical personnel from ancillary staff to nurses to physician trainees to experienced physicians or the lay public of varying ages and educational levels. So, you need to plan accordingly.

Nevertheless, the medical content that can be generated from procedures can stem from:

• Explaining the procedure itself
• Why the procedure is performed
• Who benefits from the procedure and/or who would not benefit from the procedure
• What are potential complications of the procedure (procedural risks)
• What equipment is used for the procedure
• What are alternatives to having the procedure performed (if any)
• Discussing different procedural variations or different ways to perform the procedure to get similar results (i.e., modifications)
• Common technical errors while performing the procedure
• What are the financial implications of the procedure (i.e., individual, clinic, hospital, or societal costs)
• What are the public health implications of the procedure
• Ways in which the procedure can be improved for better results
• What additional support do you need to perform the procedure (i.e., facility requirement, ancillary staff, other physicians, sedation or anesthesia, etc.)
• What training or skill level is required to perform the procedure
• Can the procedure or technique be used for other purposes or other areas of medicine (i.e., crossover utility in other medical specialties)
• Discuss different procedural outcomes based on patient demographics or operator training
• What is the optimal timing to perform the procedure for the best outcome

Again, this list of topics to discuss, regarding procedures, is not comprehensive. But, it is a good place to start to generate some ideas and put together some interesting medical content for your audience. There are many different angles and perspectives to procedural content. Also, there are many options of ways to present the content.

Procedures have the advantage of being a very visual subject matter. One can present the content with video (to show the actual procedure) and break down the different intricacies of it or show interesting findings. Procedures are also fertile ground for showing photos of the equipment, results, finding, and complications. The content can be presented with poles and quizzes about the procedure or findings, with a panel discussion about pros and cons, text in short or long writing pieces, and other presentation styles. The only limitation is the content creator’s creativity!

I hope that this helps establish a starting point for considering using procedures as a way to generate some interesting medical content. If you want some examples of discussing procedures, please see my prior blog posts about nasal foreign body removal, removal of embedded earrings from the earlobe, and putting on a better fitting finger band-aid. 

• What is your favorite procedure that you like to discuss?

• What is your favorite way to present your procedure content?

Please share your answers with us in the comments!