As I embark on my tenure as physician editor of The Hospitalist, I am struck by the similarities between the editor transition and the transitions of care that happen as part of the daily backdrop of our hospitalist lives.
Both scenarios depend on open communication, a multidisciplinary team approach, a well-considered plan, and constituent feedback.
Similar to the communication between providers in patient handoffs, the previous editor, Jamie Newman, MD, and I talked about the history, course, and plan for the publication. Unlike most of my hospital handoffs, this patient is in great condition.
Jamie took over 24 months ago during a major transition for the publication and masterfully shepherded it to the place of prominence it holds today. For this he deserves a ton of credit. The content is top-notch, the reporting timely and noteworthy, and the design compelling.
As a consequence the readership is strong; so strong, it has played an influential role in our transitional communication. Several months ago we asked you to submit feedback about the publication in the form of a reader survey. From that data it was clear The Hospitalist was headed in the right direction but could use a slight “rehab” consult to make it even stronger. You provided several inputs instrumental to enhancing the publication. In short, you clearly desired more clinical content, an easier-to-use “In the Literature” section, and more concise material. These ideas formed the cornerstone of the upcoming changes in the publication.
More Clinical Content
In the near future we will begin to run more articles about the topics that induce the most angina in hospitalists. In general, we will de-emphasize comprehensive topic reviews (e.g., “Congestive heart failure from A to Z: genomics, pathogenesis, presentation, diagnostics, therapeutics and beyond”).
In its place we will introduce shorter articles centered on controversial questions in hospital medicine, the type and scope of questions that by their very nature are common, contentious, and stress-inducing (e.g.,
When should nesiritide therapy be initiated in acute decompensated CHF?).
New “In the Lit”
While this is one of the most well-read sections, many noted it can be difficult to navigate and sometimes seems bloated. To remedy this, we will increase the number of articles reviewed while decreasing the amount of detail per article. What we lose in depth we hope to gain in breadth.
We feel this will provide a general overview of all the pertinent literature so you can be confident you are up to date on take-home points of the most current studies. The department will also be reformatted so it is much easier to find the most crucial information. Look for these changes in the next month or two.
New Departments
The “Legal Eagle” and “Billing and Coding” departments will provide important information on medical malpractice and reimbursement documentation, while the “Hospital Pharmacy” department will offer up-to-the minute highlights of advances in therapeutics.
Finally, an advice column will give you the opportunity to ask experts your questions about the practice of hospital medicine.
Of course, much of The Hospitalist will remain unchanged. We will preserve your favorite features such John Nelson’s “Practice Management” column, Larry Wellikson’s “SHM Point of View” column, and the “Society Pages” and “Public Policy” departments. All this will happen against the backdrop of timely, in-depth reporting that keeps you abreast of the world of hospital medicine.