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Medicolegal Report Editing

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Price: $190.00
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Description

"With an eye for detail and a love for fact-checking, you can help medical expert witnesses tell a clear, accurate story the court can understand." —Jahleen Turnbull-Sousa, instructor

Important Information About Our Self-Paced Courses

Self-paced courses are undertaken by the student at their own pace. No instructor feedback is given, although models are provided in the lessons. All self-paced courses include at least one live Q&A session, held via Zoom. You will have 365 days to access the course material. To extend access beyond the initial access end date, email education@the-efa.org. More information about our courses and webinars is available here.

After you place your order, your course will be added to your personal course library on our education site. That site has different login information from the main EFA site. Please check your email for information on how to access the course.

Access to course materials will begin on November 5 and last for 365 days.

A medicolegal report is a document written by a medical professional acting as an expert witness in a legal proceeding, such as a personal injury case, medical malpractice suit, or insurance claim. These reports must be clear, accurate, and understandable to a layperson audience of judges, lawyers, juries, and claim adjusters. 

This course introduces you to the specialized world of medicolegal report editing. You’ll learn the purpose of these reports, how they’re structured, and where editors fit into the process. Through a mix of video lectures, examples, and hands-on exercises, you’ll build the skills needed to edit, proofread, and fact-check expert witness reports while maintaining professional boundaries and protecting sensitive information.

You’ll also gain tools for working effectively with medical expert clients and strategies for finding work in this fascinating and rewarding editorial niche.

  • Module 1: Intro to the Medicolegal Field: Learn what medicolegal editing involves, who medical expert witnesses are, when they’re hired, and how editors can support the legal process.
  • Module 2: Medicolegal Report Components: Understand how medicolegalreports are structured and what elements they must include to be clear, logical, and legally useful.
  • Module 3: Medical Terminology for Medicolegal Editors: Build a foundation in medical terminology through an overview of key word parts, common abbreviations, DSM diagnoses, and medications commonly found in expert witness reports.
  • Module 4: Copyediting Expert Witness Reports: Tackle common copyedits in medicolegal reports, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting issues.
  • Module 5: Fact-checking Report Contents: Learn to verify key facts, cross-reference details with medical records, and ensure reports are accurate and consistent.
  • Module 6: Editorial Style Decisions & Style Sheets: Create and maintain a medicolegal report style sheet, balancing client preferences and editorial consistency.
  • Module 7: A Primer on Plain Language Principles in Medicolegal Reports: Apply plain language principles to ensure key sections of reports are accessible to lay readers while balancing the technical nature of medical information.
  • Module 8: Going Deeper with Edits and Queries: Go beyond basic copyedits by identifying unclear or outdated language, querying tone and clarity issues, and advocating for the reader.
  • Module 9: Data Protection, Ethics, and Use of AI: Follow best practices for handling confidential information securely and ethically, including HIPAA compliance, filing sharing, and responsible use of AI.
  • Module 10: Editorial Judgment: Develop the sound editorial judgment needed to stay within your professional scope, know when to query or defer, and recognize and respect the expert’s voice and opinions.
  • Module 11: Finding Work and Building a Medicolegal Editing Career: Explore how to find clients, market your services, and position yourself in the medicolegal field.
  • Module 12: Working with Clients and Setting Boundaries: Set clear boundaries with clients, define the scope of work, and manage emotionally heavy content with self-care.
  • Final Project: Edit a full-length sample expert report using what you’ve learned, with a self-assessment key provided.

You’ll work through video lectures, exercises, and quizzes at your own pace. The final project gives you a chance to apply your new skills to a realistic editing scenario. Plan to spend about 15–20 hours on the course in total, though timing may vary. This is a self-paced course with a linear structure, and you’ll have access to all materials for 365 days.

These lessons are designed for intermediate and advanced editors looking to expand into a new niche. If you’re detail-oriented, interested in medicine, and a fan of fact-checking, this course will show you how to jump into the medicolegal field with skill and confidence.

Prerequisites

This course is best suited for intermediate editors well-versed in copyediting fundamentals. No experience in medical or medicolegal editing is needed. Viewing the introductory webinars Medicolegal Editing, Part 1 (free for EFA members) and Medicolegal Editing, Part 2 is recommended but not required.

Jahleen Turnbull-Sousa (she/her) is a writer-editor with over 14 years’ experience in crafting and polishing medical and healthcare materials, business communications, and web publications. She works on a diverse range of writing and editing projects and genres, including medicolegal reports, educational healthcare materials, and occupational health and safety content. Her clients include medical assessment firms, expert witnesses, healthcare practitioners, medical educators, and international online brands.

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