Lately, we’re seeing something alarming across medical marketing: people keep misspelling HIPAA. It shows up as “HIPPA,” “HIPA,” and even “HIPPO” (yes, really). And while it may seem like a harmless slip, it signals something much bigger. If a healthcare brand can’t get one of the most fundamental regulatory terms right, what else might they be getting wrong?

Yes. It’s obviously a typo. But from our view, a typo is like having spinach stuck in your teeth: no one wants to mention it, everyone notices it, and it distracts from everything else you’re saying. In everyday writing, that’s embarrassing. In medical marketing, it’s damaging. Every piece of content – every email, white paper, value proposition, or product sheet – is held to a higher standard.

Healthcare audiences expect precision. They are constantly assessing the accuracy, clarity, and credibility of what they read. When a clinical term is misspelled, a device feature is misdescribed, or a regulatory phrase is even slightly off, trust begins to erode. Typos aren’t just cosmetic errors; they cast doubt on the scientific rigor, brand professionalism, and attention to detail behind the message.

Anyone can be your second pair of eyes. A quick review from someone (anyone!) can save you from small mistakes becoming big distractions. All it takes is someone who isn’t you to catch the things you stopped seeing. Your brain gets too cozy with your own writing.

Sure, a medical copywriter can help more.

Beyond typos, skilled copyeditors catch the subtle issues that automated tools miss – misused acronyms, inconsistent capitalization, ambiguous wording, or phrasing that accidentally shifts clinical meaning. A professional reviewer can ensure that terminology is correct, claims are accurate, tone is consistent, and complex concepts are communicated clearly.

But start where you can start. Phone a friend at the very least. No matter how skilled a writer you are, your own eyes eventually go on autopilot, and fresh eyes catch what familiarity hides.