Academic Writing Format for Reporting Intervention Outcomes
Patients who received the intervention were followed prospectively for a 6-month period, during which clinical improvement was observed in the majority of cases.
Structured Approach to Academic Reporting
When presenting intervention outcomes in academic writing, the sentence structure should follow established reporting guidelines that emphasize precision, passive voice, and temporal clarity 1.
Key Elements for Academic Presentation
Temporal specification: The follow-up duration must be explicitly stated with precise time periods rather than vague descriptors 1. The phrase "6-month follow-up period" is more academically appropriate than "followed for 6 months."
Passive voice construction: Academic medical writing typically employs passive voice to maintain objectivity 1. Rather than "patients receive," the construction "patients received" or "patients who received" is preferred, as it removes the active agent and focuses on the intervention itself.
Quantification of outcomes: The phrase "most cases" lacks precision required for academic reporting 1. Academic writing demands specific quantification, such as "improvement was observed in 78% (n=45/58) of cases" or "the majority of participants (>50%) demonstrated clinical improvement." 1
Complete Academic Reformulation
A fully academic version incorporating TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) principles would read:
"Following intervention delivery, participants underwent prospective follow-up assessment over a 6-month period. Clinical improvement was documented in the majority of cases (specify exact percentage and absolute numbers when available)." 1
Additional Reporting Considerations
Outcome specification: Academic writing requires defining what constitutes "improvement" 1. Specify whether this refers to:
- Clinician-assessed outcomes 1
- Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) 2, 3
- Specific clinical parameters or biomarkers 1
Timing precision: Rather than stating outcomes occurred "during" follow-up, specify assessment timepoints (e.g., "at 3-month and 6-month follow-up assessments") 1.
Statistical presentation: Include confidence intervals or p-values when describing improvement rates to meet academic standards 4.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The original sentence contains several non-academic elements 1: