In this interview, NewsMedical talks to Karger Publishers' Sharon Redston about the Fast Facts series.
Fast Facts is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Can you tell us about the initial vision behind the series and how it first came about?
Fast Facts is the brainchild of Sarah Redstone. Having worked in medical publishing and Med Comms for several years, she identified a gap in the market for what she likes to call “refreshing, easy-to-read” materials that meet the needs of busy healthcare professionals with limited time. I was feeling it.
She founded Health Press Ltd, an independent medical publishing company, in a spare room in her home. From there, she set out to build the Fast Facts series. Each title is designed to help clinicians quickly understand a specific condition, treatment area, or medical topic.
For each book, she commissions two key opinion leaders (KOLs) from different countries, usually on different sides of the Atlantic, to give the content an international perspective and to draw on the differences between practices and guidelines across geographic regions. The differences are discussed in the text.
In 1994, she published the first fast-fact handbook for clinicians on prostate cancer. We published the 11th edition of that title this year.
Image credit: S. Karger Publishers
What unique needs in healthcare publishing did Fast Facts originally seek to address, and how has that vision evolved over the years?
The Fast Facts title was (and is) aimed at a wide range of healthcare professionals and aimed to address the largest educational gap in healthcare. The goal was to provide all members of a multidisciplinary medical team with a concise and comprehensive introduction to specific conditions and topics in medicine.
Readers include primary care providers, junior hospital physicians, specialist nurses, and specialist trainees. I've heard anecdotally that some titles are popular with medical students and even consultants who read books outside of their field. Some Fast Facts titles are also used for in-house training to help pharmaceutical companies' medical administration teams gain knowledge in specific disease areas.
Each Fast Facts title stands alone, is highly readable, visually appealing, and provides detail and depth on a topic. Each chapter ends with a list of key points, restating key takeaway messages, and the data is fully referenced.
The series has undergone several design changes over the years, but the book format has remained the same. Because it works. The series is well-conceived and received positive reviews from its inception, winning multiple BMA Book Awards and awards. In other words, “If it ain't broke, don't fix it.”
As the series has grown, how has the Fast Facts eBook responded to the changing demands of both healthcare professionals and patients?
We know that medical professionals remain incredibly busy and demanding of their time, and that everyone absorbs information differently, whether it's reading, listening, or watching. So in recent years, we've developed a variety of ways to deliver “fast facts” in the form of interactive e-learning programs, podcasts, videos, animations, plain language summaries, and more, to ensure a format that's suitable for everyone. I'm looking for. .
Importantly, we have expanded our Fast Facts offering for patients by offering a summary information sheet for newly diagnosed patients, as well as a series of workbooks to help facilitate conversations between patients and their healthcare teams. is. Patients and patient advocacy groups (PAGs) are involved in creating content from the beginning for all patient resources to ensure patients' voices are truly heard. These resources recently earned PIF ticks. This reflects our role as a trusted information producer, producing health information of real value that is evidence-based, up-to-date, easy to use and understand.
Can you walk us through the process of creating Fast Facts titles? What steps are taken to ensure the content is accessible and trustworthy? Content quality (and compliance) How do you check?
When we identify an educational gap or unmet need in a particular area, we first develop a content outline tailored to the needs of our target audience, taking into account desired learning objectives and outcomes. Next, we invite 2-3 (sometimes more) KOLs to discuss our goals and framework, and give them time to prepare a first draft. For patient resources, we collaborate with patients, patient advocacy groups (PAGs), and clinical reviewers to ensure content is accurate, relevant, and patient-centered.
Experienced editors, including myself, with extensive industry expertise refine your manuscript and ensure it aligns with compliance requirements and best practices. This collaborative process continues until both Karger and the author team or faculty are satisfied that the content is on target. Once the manuscript is typeset, the first proof is shared with all interested parties, including the authors, reviewers (health care professionals and/or patients), and the pharmaceutical company. All feedback is carefully collated, but final authority over the content remains with an independent author team or faculty.
Image credit: S. Karger Publishers
How has technology impacted the distribution and accessibility of Fast Facts over the years? How has this impacted your audience?
As mentioned earlier, Fast Facts has evolved beyond print books into a wide range of formats, including e-books and e-learning, most of which are freely accessible online. This digital expansion will allow us to reach a wider audience around the world. The growing number of translations within the Fast Facts series reflects this global reach and accessibility.
Because everything is online, you can also check metrics (downloads, course participation, viewership, direct feedback) to see what's working and what's not, so you can keep up with your busy schedule. You can continually adapt your product to meet your users' needs. Healthcare professionals and patients looking for reliable and trustworthy information.
One of the distinguishing features of Fast Facts is that the information is presented concisely and clearly. How do you achieve a balance between depth and accessibility, especially for complex medical topics?
First, authors often write with their junior colleagues in mind, ensuring they provide the right level of detail and the most relevant information. I would also like to give a big shout out to the editors. This is experienced editing at its best.
Despite the increasing use of AI in publishing, I strongly believe that the role of the development editor is irreplaceable. An experienced editor who can transform verbose and sometimes unorganized documents into concise, logically organized, and engaging content is a real asset. Developmental editing is more than copy editing. It often requires extensive writing and rewriting. We spend a lot of time on this stage of the process to ensure our products are of the highest quality. This includes incorporating every aspect of the initial content outline and working closely with the author to ensure the perfect balance of information.
Looking at today's healthcare landscape, what emerging trends or challenges are influencing the direction of Fast Facts publications?
Our independent content is funded by pharmaceutical companies directly or through educational grants. This means we carefully consider the needs of industry funders, as well as those of healthcare professionals and patients. We ask important questions: Who do they want to reach? How do they want to engage with their audience? Today, the way we provide information is very We are focused on finding the right approach for all parties.
There has been a huge increase in titles about rare diseases, which is very rewarding. Providing quality information to health care workers and patients in areas where resources are often limited or of poor quality is an important part of our work. Patients are increasingly involved in our projects from the beginning, ensuring that their questions and perspectives are fully incorporated into the final product. This patient-centered approach is critical. As communicators, we have the tools to facilitate better interactions between patients and healthcare providers, ultimately leading to improved outcomes. To enhance this, we are currently developing shared decision support tools as part of our service expansion.
Authors and faculty are more time-constrained than ever, so we're doing everything we can to support them and make working with us a satisfying experience.
Today's healthcare environment is saturated with both good and bad information, making it more important than ever to create high-quality, high-value resources that meet the needs of healthcare professionals, patients, and industry partners. I am.
Looking back over the past 30 years, what do you think are the most important milestones and achievements for the Fast Facts series, and what are your hopes for the future of these publications?
I think Fast Facts' biggest accomplishment is its incredible durability. Since its first publication 30 years ago, the series has grown to a collection of more than 130 titles, along with a variety of patient resources and creative formats. It all started with a strong set of principles and a small, agile team that prioritized the quality of information above all else.
hope for the future is the 12th edition of Fast Facts: Prostate Cancer. A portfolio of trusted and reputable healthcare information products that consistently meet the needs of our readers. In short, I hope we keep doing what we're doing.
About the speaker
Sharon began her career publishing in journals, first as an editorial assistant for the British Dental Journal, then becoming news editor and deputy editor of the Weekly Veterinary Record. After taking time off to travel the world (second half of her gap year), Sharon returned to publishing as UK Editorial Manager at Rogers Medical Communications Agency. She then worked as a freelance medical editor before joining Health Press in 2004, where she worked as a senior healthcare publishing editor on the Fast Facts series of medical handbooks. Karger Publishers acquired the Fast Facts series in 2018. When she's not editing or writing, Sharon can be found in the garden or on the tennis court.
About S. Karger Publishers
Connecting people and science since 1890, Karger provides trusted and customized information about health science to scientists, medical professionals, patients, and the broader public.
Built on a publishing portfolio of more than 100 respected academic journals and the award-winning Fast Facts medical information series, Karger delivers medical education and omnibus content in multiple formats, including 3D animation, podcasts, AR/VR environments, and more. Excellent channel health worker engagement. Both academic and corporate medical administration and pharmaceutical marketing teams entrust Karger with their most demanding communications challenges. Headquartered in Switzerland, Karger is an independent, family-run company in its fourth generation, led by Chairman Gabriella Karger, with a team of 200 dedicated professionals worldwide and presence in 15 countries.
