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Transform key messages and source materials into a structured deliverable framework — giving the project team a shared roadmap before writing begins. This workflow is most effective after you have completed source analysis and key message extraction.
Risk tier: Low  ·  Review requirement: Standard review — the outline is a planning document, not a final deliverable

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What AI does

  • Generates a logical structure based on your key messages and deliverable type
  • Suggests section headings and subheadings following standard conventions for the content type
  • Organises multiple key messages into a coherent narrative sequence
  • Produces multiple outline options for comparison (e.g., disease-first vs. product-first structure)

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What AI cannot do

AI does not know your narrative strategy, your client’s preferences, the competitive context, or the broader communications plan unless you tell it. Section order and emphasis are strategic choices — AI provides structural suggestions, you make the decisions.

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Before you start

  • Complete the Extract Key Messages workflow first. An outline built without clear key messages will be structurally sound but strategically empty.
  • Have your deliverable specifications ready: format, audience, channel, approximate length or slide count, and any structural constraints.
  • Check whether the deliverable has a mandated structure (e.g., CSR sections, regulatory submission templates). If it does, use the required template directly — this workflow is for deliverables where you define the structure.
Do not use this workflow if you have a mandated deliverable structure. Apply required templates directly.

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Steps

1

Clarify deliverable requirements

Confirm the format, audience, purpose, and any structural constraints before generating an outline. A 10-slide HCP deck needs a fundamentally different structure from a 30-page medical education monograph.
2

Gather your inputs

Assemble key messages, source materials, any approved messaging framework, and the project brief. The quality of your outline is only as good as the inputs you provide.
3

Generate a draft outline

Provide your key messages, audience specification, and format requirements to your AI tool using the prompt pattern below.
4

Evaluate the structure

Assess whether the structure matches the deliverable type and narrative strategy. A slide deck for an advisory board needs a different architecture than a publication manuscript. Generic “Background → Methods → Results” structures are often wrong for medical communications deliverables.
5

Check message allocation

Verify that every key message from the brief or messaging framework is allocated to at least one section, and that no messages are orphaned or duplicated without purpose.
6

Verify safety has a defined section

Confirm safety and tolerability appear as a defined section in the outline — not appended as an afterthought or collapsed into a single line.
7

Refine and annotate

Adjust section order, add or remove sections, and annotate with specific content notes, source references, or evidence gaps.
8

Share for alignment

Present the outline to the project team or client for alignment before committing to a full draft.

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Prompt pattern

You are a medical writing assistant. Your task is to create a content outline for the following deliverable.

Deliverable type: [SPECIFY — e.g., HCP slide deck, medical education monograph, publication manuscript, training module]
Target audience: [SPECIFY]
Purpose: [SPECIFY — e.g., communicate Phase III results to oncologists, support payer value discussions]
Approximate length/scope: [SPECIFY]

Key messages to incorporate:
[INSERT KEY MESSAGES]

Structure the outline with:
- Section headings and subheadings
- A one-sentence description of what each section should cover
- Notes on which key messages map to which sections
- Suggested approximate length or number of slides per section (if applicable)

Rules:
- Every section should have a clear purpose. Do not include sections that are structural filler.
- Ensure the outline flows logically — the reader should be able to follow the narrative from section to section.
- Include a section for safety and tolerability unless the deliverable explicitly excludes it.
- Flag any sections where you are uncertain about placement or content.

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Human review checklist

  • Every key message from the brief or messaging framework is allocated to at least one section
  • No key messages are duplicated across multiple sections without purpose
  • The narrative arc makes sense for the target audience
  • The structure matches the deliverable format (slide count for a deck, page allocation for a monograph)
  • Safety and tolerability have a defined section — not appended as an afterthought
  • No sections exist purely as structural filler
  • The outline is consistent with the project brief and any communications strategy
  • Section lengths are realistic — a 3-slide section should not contain 5 key messages
  • Source materials are sufficient to populate each section — evidence gaps are flagged

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Common failure modes

RiskWhat to look for
Generic structure”Background → Methods → Results → Conclusions” when the deliverable needs a story-led flow (unmet need → evidence → clinical impact)
Missing sectionsNo safety section, or missing competitive context required by the brief
Illogical flowEvidence sections appear before clinical context is established, or mechanism follows efficacy data
Over-structured15 subsections for a 10-slide deck

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Next steps

Adapt for Audiences

Create audience-specific versions from your outline.

Repurpose Content

Adapt the deliverable for other formats and channels.

Final Review

QC the completed deliverable before submission.