Dear Gentle Reader,

January has a curious quality. It arrives quietly, yet carries the weight of everything that is about to follow. Calendars look reassuringly open, inboxes are briefly manageable, and there is a collective sense that this year might be the one where things feel just a little more in control.  Of course, those of us who live and work alongside scientific congresses know better. The apparent calm of January is deceptive. Abstract deadlines do not wait politely, data do not always arrive on cue, and well-intentioned plans have a habit of being tested once the year gathers momentum. 

This is precisely why January matters. Not because it demands urgency, but because it offers perspective. The conversations held now, about priorities, pressure points, and where support will truly be needed, often determine whether the months ahead feel composed or compressed. Thoughtful planning does not remove complexity, but it does give teams the space to respond to it with clarity rather than haste. 

This edition of our Health Outcomes Communicator is designed to support that moment of foresight. From key congress deadlines to practical prompts for early coordination, we hope it helps you lay foundations that will serve you well long after January has passed.

Yours truly, 

Ruth

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Welcome Back

January often brings a familiar mix of momentum and pressure. The year ahead fills up quickly, particularly for teams balancing scientific congresses, evolving data, and complex planning timelines.

This early part of the year is a valuable window. Forward planning for congress submissions and communication planning now can ease pressure later and create space for stronger, more considered outputs. Early alignment on priorities, timelines, and support needs often makes the difference between simply meeting deadlines and delivering work with real impact. 

The sections below are designed to support that early planning mindset, highlighting key milestones and practical steps to help you start 2026 on solid footing. 

Quick Planning Guide 

The first quarter is an opportunity to set the foundations for the year ahead. A small amount of early coordination now can reduce pressure later and create clearer decision points as timelines accelerate. 

Start by confirming your priority milestones for 2026. This includes key congress targets, anticipated data, and any evidence or positioning work that will underpin downstream activities. Early visibility allows teams to sequence work realistically and reduce avoidable compression as deadlines approach. 

January is also an ideal time to have structured conversations with your MedComms partner. Aligning early on scope, timelines, and points of flexibility helps streamline cross-functional working across medical, market access, and commercial teams. These conversations are less about locking everything in and more about identifying where leadership, planning support, or additional capacity will be most valuable as the year unfolds. 

When to secure writing support 

• As soon as congress targets and abstract windows are confirmed 
• When timelines for data or analyses remain fluid 
• Where internal teams anticipate competing priorities later in the year 
• When messaging or positioning needs to be developed ahead of formal outputs 

Planning writing support early creates space for deeper thinking, stronger narrative development and fewer last-minute trade-offs.

High-value communication assets to plan now 

• Abstracts and congress submissions 
• Market access communication assets, including early value narratives 
• Core value messaging refinement to support multiple downstream assets 
• Evidence summaries or positioning documents to guide future outputs

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Investing time in these discussions in January helps ensure the right expertise is in place well before delivery pressure builds, and sets the year up for more confident, consistent execution. 

Spotlight on the blog 

January offers a brief window to set publication programmes up for the year ahead. This article outlines three practical conversations that help teams anticipate pressure points, use partners more effectively, and align early on what success really looks like. A short read designed to support calmer planning now and fewer fire drills later in the year. 

Three Conversations to Have With Your Publications Partner in January [Link]

Now is a good moment to set the foundations for 2026. Reach out to arrange a planning discussion around your key deliverables. [Contact us]

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