On this interview, NewsMedical speak to Karger Publishers’ Sharon Redston in regards to the Quick Details collection.
Quick Details marks its 30th anniversary this yr. Are you able to share with us the preliminary imaginative and prescient behind the collection and the way it first got here into existence?
Quick Details was Sarah Redston’s brainchild. Having labored in medical publishing and Med Comms for a number of years, she noticed a niche available in the market for, as she preferred to name it, ‘refreshingly readable’ materials that met the wants of busy healthcare professionals whose time was at a premium.
She arrange Well being Press Ltd, an unbiased medical publishing firm, in a spare room in her home. From there, she set about constructing the Quick Details collection, with every title designed to deliver clinicians on top of things shortly on a particular situation, therapeutic space or subject in medication.
For every e-book, she commissioned two Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) from completely different international locations, normally on completely different sides of the Atlantic, to provide the content material a world perspective, with any variations in observe or tips between geographic areas being mentioned inside the textual content.
In 1994, she revealed the primary Quick Details handbook for clinicians on prostate most cancers. We revealed the eleventh version of that title this yr.
Picture Credit score: S. Karger Publishers
What distinctive wants in healthcare publishing did Quick Details initially got down to tackle, and the way has that imaginative and prescient advanced over time?
The Quick Details titles have been (and nonetheless are) geared toward a broad vary of healthcare professionals and aimed to handle the biggest academic gaps in healthcare. The objective was to supply all members of the multidisciplinary healthcare crew with a concise however complete primer on a particular situation or subject in medication.
The readership consists of main care suppliers, junior hospital docs, specialist nurses, and specialist trainees. Some titles have been fashionable with medical college students, and we’ve got additionally heard, anecdotally, that the books are fashionable with consultants studying outdoors their area of experience. A number of Quick Details titles have additionally been used for inner coaching inside pharma corporations to deliver their medical affairs crew on top of things in a selected illness space.
Every Quick Details title is unbiased, extremely readable, and visually interesting, offering element and depth on a subject. Every chapter ends with a listing of key factors that reiterate the principal take-away messages, and the info are totally referenced.
Though the collection has undergone a number of design adjustments over time, the format of the books has remained the identical—as a result of it really works. The collection was nicely thought out and acquired at first, successful a number of BMA Guide Awards and commendations. So, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it.’
Because the collection has grown, how have Quick Details eBooks tailored to satisfy the altering calls for of healthcare professionals and sufferers alike?
Healthcare professionals are nonetheless ridiculously busy, with many calls for on their time, and we all know that everybody has other ways of assimilating info, be it by studying, listening or watching. So, lately, we’ve got been discovering other ways of offering ‘Quick Details’, for instance, within the type of interactive eLearning packages, podcasts, movies, animations, and plain language summaries, so that there’s a format to go well with everybody.
Importantly, we’ve got additionally expanded the Quick Details providing to sufferers with a collection of workbooks that assist to facilitate the dialog between sufferers and their healthcare crew, alongside abstract info sheets for newly identified sufferers. Sufferers and affected person advocacy teams (PAGs) are concerned in content material creation from the beginning of each affected person useful resource in order that the affected person’s voice is really heard. These sources have been lately awarded the PIF tick, reflecting our position as a Trusted Data Creator, producing well being info of actual worth that’s evidence-based, up-to-date, and simple to make use of and perceive.
Are you able to stroll us by the method of making a Quick Details title? What steps are taken to make sure the content material is each accessible and authoritative? How do you examine the standard (and compliance) of the content material?
Once we determine academic gaps or unmet wants in a particular space, we start by creating a content material define that aligns with the audience’s wants whereas contemplating the specified studying aims and outcomes. Subsequent, we fee 2-3 (or typically extra) KOLs, talk about the targets and framework with them, and permit time for them to arrange an preliminary draft. For affected person sources, we collaborate with sufferers, affected person advocacy teams (PAGs), and medical reviewers to make sure the content material is correct, related, and patient-centered.
Skilled editors with in depth trade experience, together with myself, refine the manuscript to make sure it aligns with compliance necessities and finest practices. This collaborative course of continues till each Karger and the creator crew or college are happy that the content material hits the mark. As soon as the manuscript is typeset, the primary proof is shared with all related stakeholders, together with authors, peer reviewers (HCPs and/or sufferers), and pharmaceutical corporations. All suggestions is rigorously collated, however the unbiased creator crew or college retains the ultimate authority over the content material.
Picture Credit score: S. Karger Publishers
In what methods has know-how influenced the distribution and accessibility of Quick Details over time? How has this impacted your readership?
As talked about earlier, Quick Details has advanced past printed books into a variety of codecs, together with eBooks and eLearning, most of that are freely accessible on-line. This digital growth permits us to achieve a much wider viewers worldwide. The rising variety of translations inside the Quick Details collection displays this international attain and accessibility.
With the whole lot on-line, we are able to additionally have a look at the metrics (downloads, course participant numbers, variety of viewers, and direct suggestions) to seek out out what works and what doesn’t in order that we are able to frequently adapt our merchandise to satisfy the wants of busy HCPs and sufferers searching for authoritative, trusted info.
One of many standout options of Quick Details is the concise, clear approach info is offered. How do you obtain this stability between depth and accessibility, particularly on advanced medical matters?
Firstly, our authors typically write with their junior colleagues in thoughts, making certain they supply the correct stage of element and probably the most related info. I’d additionally like to provide an enormous shoutout to the editors—that is skilled modifying at its best.
Regardless of the rising use of AI in publishing, I firmly imagine the position of the Developmental Editor is irreplaceable. An skilled editor who can rework a wordy, typically disorganized doc into concise, logically ordered, and interesting content material is really invaluable. Developmental modifying goes past copyediting; it typically entails substantial writing and rewriting. We dedicate important time to this stage of the method, making certain our merchandise are of the very best high quality. This consists of incorporating all features of the preliminary content material define and collaborating carefully with our authors to strike the proper stability of knowledge.
Taking a look at at this time’s healthcare panorama, what new developments or challenges are influencing the course of Quick Details publications?
Our unbiased content material is funded by pharmaceutical corporations, both straight or by academic grants. This implies we rigorously take into account the wants of trade funders alongside these of HCPs and sufferers. We ask key questions: Who do they need to attain? How do they need to have interaction with their viewers? With so some ways to ship info at this time, our focus is on discovering the correct method for all stakeholders.
We’ve seen important progress in our titles on uncommon illnesses, which has been extremely rewarding. Offering high-quality info for HCPs and sufferers in areas the place sources are sometimes restricted or of poor high quality is a crucial a part of what we do. More and more, sufferers are concerned from the outset of our tasks, making certain their questions and views are totally built-in into the ultimate product. This patient-centered method is essential. As communicators, we’ve got the instruments to foster higher dialogue between sufferers and HCPs, finally resulting in improved outcomes. To reinforce this, we’re at the moment creating shared decision-making aids as a part of our increasing providing.
Our authors and school members are extra time-constrained than ever, so we do as a lot as we are able to to help them and make working with us a satisfying expertise.
In at this time’s healthcare panorama, saturated with each good and unhealthy info, it’s extra essential than ever for us to provide high-quality, high-value sources that meet the wants of HCPs, sufferers, and trade companions alike.
Reflecting on the previous 30 years, what do you suppose has been probably the most important milestone or accomplishment for the Quick Details collection? And what are your hopes for the way forward for these publications?
I feel the most important accomplishment of Quick Details has been its outstanding sturdiness. From the primary version 30 years in the past, the collection has grown into a group of over 130 titles, together with a variety of affected person sources and inventive codecs. It began with a robust set of ideas and a small, agile crew that prioritized the standard of knowledge above all else.
My hopes for the long run are a twelfth version of Quick Details: Prostate Most cancers and a trusted and revered portfolio of healthcare info merchandise that constantly meet the wants of our readers. Briefly, I hope that we hold doing what we’re doing.
In regards to the Speaker
Sharon began her profession in publishing in journals, first as Editorial Assistant on the British Dental Journal earlier than turning into Information Editor and Deputy Editor of the weekly Veterinary File. After taking a break to journey around the globe (a late hole yr), Sharon returned to publishing as UK Editorial Supervisor at Rogers Medical Communications company. She later freelanced as a medical editor earlier than becoming a member of Well being Press in 2004 to work as Senior Healthcare Publications Editor on the Quick Details collection of medical handbooks. Karger Publishers acquired the Quick Details collection in 2018. When she isn’t modifying or writing, Sharon might be discovered within the backyard or on a tennis courtroom.
About S. Karger AG
Connecting folks and science since 1890, Karger offers scientists, healthcare professionals, sufferers, and the broader public with dependable and tailor-made info in Well being Sciences.
Constructing upon a publishing portfolio of greater than 100 respected scholarly journals and the award-winning Quick Details medical data collection, Karger excels in medical schooling and omnichannel HCP engagement in a number of codecs, together with 3D animations, podcasts, AR/VR environments, and extra. Educational establishments and each medical affairs and pharma advertising and marketing groups within the company house entrust Karger with their most demanding communication challenges. Impartial and family-led within the fourth technology by Chairwoman Gabriella Karger, Switzerland-based Karger is current in 15 international locations with a crew of 200 devoted professionals worldwide.
