CMAJ priorities for 2020: Editor-in-chief Andreas Laupacis — editorial

CMAJ

‘s new editor-in-chief, Andreas Laupacis, outlines his priorities for Canada’s major medical journal in an editorial as he settles in to his role.

http://www.

191561

“Our health care system and the way we address the social determinants of health clearly need improvement, which must be informed by evidence,” writes Dr. Laupacis.

“We need to focus on solutions. Canada urgently needs timely, high-quality research to inform front-line and policy decisions. I will strive to make

CMAJ

the journal to which research that has the potential to change Canada’s health care system is submitted, and in which it is published,” he pledges.

CMAJ

priorities:

1. To publish more research of clear relevance to Canadian physicians and health care providers and for managing and governing the health care system.

2. To expand the nonresearch section of

CMAJ

, adding a new section focused on innovations that have improved care, and augment the Practice and Humanities sections.

3. To increase the involvement of patients and their caregivers in the journal.

“Patients and families live with their medical conditions, often for decades,” writes Dr. Laupacis. “Most physicians (including this editor) have no clue what it is like to hold a tenuous, poorly paying job and live with many chronic conditions. Or to be Indigenous and live in a remote community. We need patients to guide us — it is the right thing to do and will improve the journal.”

Over the next few months, Dr. Laupacis will visit universities and meet with clinicians, health care professionals and patients across Canada to hear ideas on how to improve health care, and

CMAJ

.

###