How to Write a Health Feature for Your Article
Health is the state of being physically and emotionally well, free from disease or infirmity. In terms of a community, it refers to the overall well-being of its people and includes a person’s ability to function in their environment and to realize their aspirations. There is a wide range of definitions for health, which vary from a precise biomedical or physical definition to a more broad definition of well-being such as that of the World Health Organization: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
There is a growing recognition that what influences health is much broader than the formal medical care and public health systems. These are known as the determinants of health, and they include individual behaviors, genetic makeup, and environmental conditions such as poverty, education, housing, and community safety. Health is the result of a complex interaction among these determinants and can be enhanced by interventions aimed at improving the functioning of these systems.
Unlike traditional medicine, which is focused on diagnosing and treating illness, health promotion emphasizes the active pursuit of well-being. The goal is to support individuals and communities in reaching their full potential by helping them become healthy and able to adapt to change. This approach has a number of advantages, including the recognition that health is not just a matter of avoiding disease but is rather the outcome of individuals and communities making choices to live in ways that are aligned with their values.
A key component of a health feature is the lede, which appears in the first sentence or two of an article and encourages readers to keep reading. A good lede is concise and persuasive, with an obvious relevance to the article’s main point. It should also include a call to action, which can be an offer of advice or a suggestion for further research.
Once you have finished your initial draft, it is important to edit for structure and readability as well as spelling and grammar. It is also helpful to run your article through a proofreading app such as Hemingway or Grammarly. This step should be completed before you submit your work for publication.
Once your article is published, it is important to promote it through social media and other channels to increase its visibility and readership. You should also send it to other writers to get feedback, particularly those with experience writing for the healthcare industry. Lastly, you should submit your article to a medical editor for a more in-depth review of its accuracy and clarity. Medical editors can provide valuable insights into the most current medical practices and regulations and help ensure that your article is compliant with healthcare regulatory bodies. In addition, they can help you make sure that your content is search engine optimized (SEO) to ensure that it shows up high in search results. This is critical for ensuring that your valuable healthcare articles are seen by the people who need them most.
Health is the state of being physically and emotionally well, free from disease or infirmity. In terms of a community, it refers to the overall well-being of its people and includes a person’s ability to function in their environment and to realize their aspirations. There is a wide range of definitions for health, which vary from a precise biomedical or physical definition to a more broad definition of well-being such as that of the World Health Organization: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” There is a growing recognition that what influences health is much broader than the formal medical care and public health systems. These are known as the determinants of health, and they include individual behaviors, genetic makeup, and environmental conditions such as poverty, education, housing, and community safety. Health is the result of a complex interaction among these determinants and can be enhanced by interventions aimed at improving the functioning of these systems. Unlike traditional medicine, which is focused on diagnosing and treating illness, health promotion emphasizes the active pursuit of well-being. The goal is to support individuals and communities in reaching their full potential by helping them become healthy and able to adapt to change. This approach has a number of advantages, including the recognition that health is not just a matter of avoiding disease but is rather the outcome of individuals and communities making choices to live in ways that are aligned with their values. A key component of a health feature is the lede, which appears in the first sentence or two of an article and encourages readers to keep reading. A good lede is concise and persuasive, with an obvious relevance to the article’s main point. It should also include a call to action, which can be an offer of advice or a suggestion for further research. Once you have finished your initial draft, it is important to edit for structure and readability as well as spelling and grammar. It is also helpful to run your article through a proofreading app such as Hemingway or Grammarly. This step should be completed before you submit your work for publication. Once your article is published, it is important to promote it through social media and other channels to increase its visibility and readership. You should also send it to other writers to get feedback, particularly those with experience writing for the healthcare industry. Lastly, you should submit your article to a medical editor for a more in-depth review of its accuracy and clarity. Medical editors can provide valuable insights into the most current medical practices and regulations and help ensure that your article is compliant with healthcare regulatory bodies. In addition, they can help you make sure that your content is search engine optimized (SEO) to ensure that it shows up high in search results. This is critical for ensuring that your valuable healthcare articles are seen by the people who need them most.