a journal Catarina Kiefe PhD MD Dept of Quantitative Health - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Medical Care: introduction to a journal

Catarina Kiefe PhD MD Dept of Quantitative Health Sciences University of Massachusetts Medical School June 25, 2007

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Medical Care background:

• The official journal of the Medical Care Section of the American

Public Health Association

• Currently publishing vol. 55, i.e., started 1965
• Medical Care focuses on :
• All policy-relevant aspects of healthcare delivery
• Methods for health services research
• Quality and value in healthcare
• Healthcare equity

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Medical Care publications:

• Everything peer-reviewed (except invited editorials)
• Monthly hard copy issues, 12/year, everything also on-line
• Almost all original articles
• Supplements
• On-line only articles: Applied Methods of HSR
• Special series – consult with co-Editors-in-Chief before submitting
• Point-counterpoint
• Annals of Health Services Research
• Applied Statistical Methods

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When an original article is submitted:

• Managing Editor does technical check (~ 3 days)
• Co-Editors-in-Chief triage , reject ~60%, almost all within 5 days
• If considered for peer review:
• assigned to 1 of 13 Deputy Editors who likely invites peer reviewers
• 13 days from submission to 1st reviewer invitation
• Average time to 1st decision: ~ 60 days (for papers sent out)
• Average author turn-around for 1st revision: 60.3 days
• Current overall acceptance rate ~13%

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Main reasons for rejection:

• For desk rejections: the SO WHAT question
• For peer-reviewed articles:
• Problems with data
• Inappropriate analyses
• Poorly written
• Discussion does not provide needed context

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Want to know more?

• Medical care website:
• http://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare
• We have a blog:
• http://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/blog/