If I want to write an article about a new procedure in my field to be published do I need to get one?

You should confidentially discuss the details with a patent attorney to see if it is a good candidate for protection.

The expression of an idea is copyrighted; the invention of a useful item is patented. Your article would be copyrighted as soon as a final version was fixed in a permanent medium. You can register it with the U.S. Copyright but that's not required by law.

Patents protect your invention - not your writing of an article - unless the article describes a new invention. Copyright protects your original creation as an author. Once you create the work in tangible form (e.g., on paper) - you own the copyright. If you want to register the copyright - visit the US Copyright Office website - www.copyright.gov - for the forms and procedures. Registration is not mandatory - but is required if you want to sue someone who copies your work. Good Luck!