Introduction

AMWA Carolinas is committed to building a culture that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in medical writing and communication. The DEI materials we’ve compiled are designed to help medical writers understand how to use inclusive language, ensure accessibility, and consider the diverse needs of their audience. This includes tailoring content to various health literacy levels and cultural contexts while avoiding biases and stigmatizing terms. Incorporating diverse perspectives, addressing social determinants of health, and emphasizing health equity in all communications strengthens engagement and builds trust in our community. These resources are a great starting point for learning how to create more inclusive, accessible communication that reflects the diverse perspectives within our community. As you explore these materials, feel free to share any additional resources you think would be helpful for others in our field.

DEI Efforts from AMWA National

AMWA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at AMWA

Results of the 2022 AMWA DEI Survey

AMWA’s 2024-2027 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy

DEI for AMWA: Aligning Our Intent and Our Impact

Health Disparity in the US, Explained

Race in Medicine: Why are there health disparities? (video) | youtube.com

AMA policies recognize race as a social, not biological, construct | AMA

Advancing Health Equity by Addressing the Social Determinants of Health in Family Medicine | AAFP

The use of Human genetics research in promoting scientific racism. American Society of Human Genetics: Facing Our History – Building an Equitable Future Initiative | AAHG

Health Disparities: Scholarly Insights

The Social Determinants of Health: It’s Time to Consider the Causes of the Causes (article) | NCBI

Estimated Deaths Attributable to Social Factors in the United States (article) | AJPH

Cancer statistics for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, 2022: Including increasing disparities in early-onset colorectal cancer (article) | ACSJournals

The background and legacy of Lewontin’s apportionment of human genetic diversity (article) | RSocPubl

“We adjusted for race”: now what? A Systematic Review of Utilization and Reporting of Race in American Journal of Epidemiology and Epidemiology, 2020–2021 (article) | Oxford University Press  (Note: Not an Open Access)

DEI in Clinical Trials

Diversity of Clinical Trials: This is Our Movement (video) | youtube.com

Using Population Descriptors in Genetics and Genomics Research: A New Framework for an Evolving Field | The National Academies Press (NIH-funded NASEM report)

Action Plan to Achieve Diversity: the eight core domains | MRCT Center

Achieving the Bold Vision of Health Equity: AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2024 | AACR

FDA Draft Guidance: Diversity Plans to Improve Enrollment of Participants from Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Populations in Clinical Trials Guidance for Industry, April 2022 | FDA

FDA Draft Guidance on Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data in Clinical Trials and Clinical Studies for FDA-Regulated Medical Products, January 2024 | FDA

DEI Clinical Trials Tool Kit

Diversity Webinar Series | SCRS

Self-assessment of your capacity for recruiting and meeting the needs of diverse patient populations in clinical trials | SCRS

The Study Participant Feedback Questionnaire (SPFQ) designed to capture patients’ experiences at the beginning, during, and end of each clinical study, independent of disease and treatment | TransCelerate

Awareness Raising Initiatives to Promote Diverse Participant Engagement: A Model Checklist for Implementers | MRCT Center

Effective Patient-Physician Communication | ACOG

Three ways to battle unconscious bias | AMA

DEI Language in Medical Writing

Updated Guidance on the Reporting of Race and Ethnicity in Medical and Science Journals | JAMA

Correct and Preferred Language. AMA Manual of Style | AMA

NIH Style Guide: Person-first and Destigmatizing Language | NIH

Communicating With and About People with Disabilities. People-First Language | CDC

DEI (Case Studies)

“Race-based diagnoses are still very real in medicine” NPR. The Code Switch podcast | NRP

Pathology Central – Race in Medicine. Keloids: Beyond the Pale (video) | youtube.com

Inaccuracy of pulse oximeter readings could impact care of Black patients with Heart Failure | healio.com

Asthma Inhalers Fail Minority Children Due to a Lack of Diversity in Research | gizmodo.com

DEI Success Stories

Yale School of Medicine expands partnership to promote clinical trials and training in Puerto Rico | yale.edu

About Our DEI Resource Coordinator

Dr. Nadezhda (Nadia) Sabeva, PhD, is a neuroscientist and molecular biologist with vast experience in drug development, pre-clinical study design, scientific communication, and grant writing. She has been part of a collaborative effort evaluating natural product safety and toxicity assessments across various animal species. She serves as a scientific advisor for a start-up committed to harnessing the therapeutic potential of natural compounds in treating neurodegenerative diseases.  

As a faculty member at a medical school serving an underrepresented community and dedicated to training bilingual healthcare professionals, Nadia brings this commitment to her role as the DEI Resource Coordinator for the AMWA Carolinas Chapter. She translates her understanding of DEI challenges into organizing educational materials that address practical strategies for enhancing diversity within clinical and healthcare settings.

AMWA Carolinas would like to acknowledge Yael Symes, Kim Jochman, Toni Willis, Naomi Bishop, and Jaya Samaranayake for submitting materials for this resource.