What the pandemic did to medical-writing work
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted projects and income, accelerated remote and virtual work, and created urgent demand for COVID-19 communication. Its effects differed between writers, employers and kinds of work.
Clinical work and changing demand
In early 2020, biotech and pharmaceutical companies implemented business-continuity plans and restricted on-site activity while testing shortages and changing local rules complicated research. Some prioritised COVID-19 and conditions with unmet need, while uncertainty about the virus’s persistence complicated investment decisions. Companies developed vaccines and new treatments, repurposed drugs and formed partnerships, with some staff reassigned from halted trials to COVID-19 work.
Writers adapted quickly to COVID-19 documentation and the pandemic’s effects on other trials while scientific knowledge and regulatory expectations changed. A regulatory writer’s 2021 experience, including colleagues’ accounts, described urgent manuscripts, investigational new drug applications and emergency-use documents, alongside discussions with trial organisations and sites about whether other trials could continue. Writers changed how and how often they communicated, often using live coauthoring or meetings rather than sequential drafts to support real-time development.
In 2021, the same account anticipated continuing COVID-19 trials in additional populations and settings, treatment of sequelae, monitoring of variants and possible further enrolment disruption from lockdowns. It left open how delayed milestone reporting would affect companies’ capital raising and whether pandemic efficiencies could be sustained.
AMWA survey: early effects on work
AMWA’s May 2020 survey reached current members and people whose membership had lapsed since 2018: 957 answered at least one question, equivalent to 17% of the initial mailing of 5,694, with additional access through social media. Question totals varied because respondents skipped questions and some questions depended on earlier answers. Half were employed, 43% freelance and 80% had no supervisory or management responsibilities.
Projects, productivity and workflow
Among 252 answering about regulatory tasks, changes in trial conduct—such as dosing schedules, visit windows and monitoring—were most common, and nearly half reported temporary trial halts. Write-in answers included shortened timelines, protocol amendments, delays to starts and results, hiring freezes, reduced hours and a shift towards high-priority COVID-19 documents.
Among 735 answering about daily writing tasks, slowed progress on existing assignments was the most common effect. Other reported effects included postponed or cancelled projects, changed assignments, difficulty focusing or assembling productive teams, new COVID-19 projects and a move from live to virtual delivery.
Of those answering about efficiency and productivity, 44% reported a negative effect and 41% no effect. Respondents linked reduced productivity to childcare and other personal responsibilities, stress, fatigue, distraction, lower motivation, competing priorities, changes to clients and contracts, altered workloads and inadequate preparation for homeworking.
Some workflow disruption was reported by 71%, including workload changes, organisational problems, conference cancellations, virtual delivery, abrupt remote working, changing priorities and postponed or cancelled projects. Freelancers could be ready for remote work while their clients were not, leading to delays and reduced workloads.
Requests for writing support increased for 31% and decreased for 24%. COVID-19 work, changing deadlines and priorities, and virtual delivery increased demand for some, while cancellations, trial interruptions, furloughs and virtual delivery reduced it for others. Organisations and communicators already able to produce virtual content could shift platforms and offer solutions quickly.
Financial expectations
For financial losses caused by the pandemic, 36% were uncertain or answered “maybe”, 34% expected a loss and 29% did not. The report found different expectations in its separate six-month outlook: 44% expected no change or improvement, while about a third expected a slight downturn. Salary and benefit cuts, furloughs and cancelled or delayed freelance projects were common reasons for anticipated losses. Some expected gains because researchers had more time to write manuscripts and design protocols.
Travel, conferences and association support
Travel restrictions or reductions through the end of 2020 were reported or anticipated by 65%, and travel-expense cuts by 33%. For business travel in the following six months, respondents could choose multiple modes: 84% were comfortable using a personal car, 27% a rental car, 18% an airplane, 14% a train, 13% a taxi or ride-hailing service, and 15% none.
After stay-at-home orders ended, 35% were uncertain when they would feel comfortable travelling, 31% would wait until 2021, 18% expected two to four months, 10% five to seven months and 7% immediately. Age, vaccine availability, infection rates at home and destination, testing and contact tracing would influence decisions. Write-in responses generally regarded travel as too risky before a vaccine or herd immunity.
Respondents were largely uncertain about acceptable in-person event size, and only 4% felt comfortable with 351–700 attendees, the typical size of AMWA’s conference. For the 2020 conference, 75% preferred virtual attendance, 10% face-to-face attendance and 15% had no preference. Virtual attendance was generally considered safest during the pandemic.
Members valued education and networking and requested low-cost resources, reduced membership rates, virtual learning and networking, job and business advice, COVID-19-specific content, and professional and social support. AMWA reported using this feedback to make its 2020 conference virtual, including education and networking, while continuing webinars, interactive activities and workshops.
The most common long-term prediction was more homeworking, sometimes permanently. Other predictions included economic downturn and job loss, more virtual interaction and content, greater importance for communicators and heavier workloads; some expected no effect.
Homeworking survey: early lockdown experience
A separate medical-communication survey in May–June 2020 had 759 respondents, 76.8% based in the UK and 71.4% women. It described early lockdown experience without a pre-pandemic baseline. Medical communications, education and publishing accounted for 67.1%; 39.9% were writers or editors, 25.6% freelancers and 56% had managerial duties. By the survey, 97.2% were working from home, compared with 9% of full-time employees doing so before lockdown.
Benefits and difficulties
The survey reported a positive early experience for 85%, with most enjoying homeworking, feeling secure and valued, establishing routines and coping with manageable workloads. Most could interact with colleagues and serve clients successfully. More than 80% felt valued by colleagues and clients and trusted by employers, although 16.1% lacked motivation and 17.2% felt less recognised. Work was interesting for 59.1%, while nearly a quarter were less positive.
Equal or greater productivity at home was reported by 82.7%, with free-text answers crediting reduced commuting and distractions, a tailored environment, professional support and feedback. Appropriate equipment was reported by 87.7%, but only 15.2% (115 respondents) had completed a formal home-workspace health and safety assessment.
Avoiding the commute was valued by 210 respondents for time, money and energy saved, while 200 mentioned freedom and flexibility in routines, breaks and domestic tasks. Respondents also valued time with family and pets, exercise, breaks, a better environment and avoiding stressful office situations.
Social-media use increased, but the survey did not show widespread increases in alcohol consumption or reduced exercise, with similar proportions reporting opposite experiences. Work and domestic life remained separate for 69.6%, while personal relationships were unchanged for about 45%, improved for about a quarter and worse for a similar share. Lunch arrangements did not suggest greater deadline pressure.
Loneliness or isolation affected 28.1%, and isolation was the most frequent free-text difficulty, mentioned by 140 respondents. Almost a quarter reported difficulties with energy, rest and concentration. More than a quarter felt training opportunities had diminished. Childcare and home-schooling difficulties were raised by 120 respondents, more than a quarter of those living with children. Eighty reported no natural end to the day, describing evening emails, administration and difficulty switching off, compounded by IT problems, frequent calls and distractions.
Financial circumstances were unchanged for 54.3% and worse for 17.9% (136 people). Financial deterioration was recorded in the survey table for 36.1% of freelancers and 11.7% of other respondents; the discussion and conclusion gave the freelance figure as 36.6%, and the abstract gave it as 37%.
Established homeworkers and newly remote staff
Established homeworkers numbered 207 (27.3%), of whom 69.6% were freelancers or consultants. They were more often over 40 than newly remote office workers (82% versus 51%) and more often lived with children under 18 (47% versus 35%); 27% felt financially worse off, compared with 14% of office workers.
Newly remote office workers reported less enjoyment, interest, cheerfulness, vigour, motivation, feeling valued or trusted, and contact with colleagues than established homeworkers (all P<0.05). Established homeworkers reported greater workload increases and more difficulty concentrating (P<0.05). Loneliness affected 23.5% of established homeworkers versus 28.1% of office workers. More than 60% ate away from their desks, particularly office workers, while over half in both groups worried about less exercise and more alcohol, particularly established homeworkers. Isolation among established homeworkers could reflect the wider lockdown as well as working arrangements.
Most respondents (85%) expected working practices to change after the pandemic.
Freelance experiences in 2020–2023
In 2020, one freelancer with two young children at home retained all her clients and valued an existing home desk and flexible hours. She saw opportunities for established freelancers to cover gaps while companies adjusted to homeworking. Another already worked at home and experienced little change in focus, although client adaptation and continuing learning remained necessary.
A 2021 freelance account described projects being dropped for some writers and overwhelming new assignments for others, alongside new COVID-19 opportunities and communication challenges. Familiarity with remote work and juggling schedules could help freelancers adapt, although the period remained difficult. Plans for a wider Portuguese medical-writer group were postponed during the pandemic.
By 2023, a freelance account described companies as better equipped for remote collaborators, more comfortable with productive virtual meetings and more aware that work did not always require permanent in-house staff.