BioMed Central Blog
Dr Jose Guilherme Cecatti joins Reproductive Health as co-Editor-in-Chief
Dr
Jose Guilherme Cecatti recently joined Reproductive Health as
co-Editor-in-Chief, serving alongside Dr Regina Kulier. Dr Cecatti is Director
of Maternity Services at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
Reproductive Health was launched in 2004 and publishes articles on all aspects of human reproduction including clinical practices, social and gender issues, sexual health, country and population specific issues and assessment of access to and utilization of services. The title is the official journal of the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, a WHO collaborating centre for education and research in human reproduction.
We are delighted to welcome Dr Cecatti on board.Posted by Charlotte Hubbard at 15:44 Comments (0)
Reassessing clinical trial design in sepsis - a free commentary from Critical Care
In a recently published commentary the Editor-in-Chief of Critical Care, Professor Jean-Louis Vincent, notes the need to rethink the design of clinical trials relating to sepsis in the light of several disappointing studies, including the Corticus study.
In an age of evidence-based medicine, there is an urgent need for well-designed trials for sepsis interventions, as sound data forms the foundations upon which future guidelines and treatments can be built.
Commentary
Steroids in sepsis: another swing of the pendulum in our clinical trials
Jean-Louis Vincent
Critical Care 2008, 12:141 (29 April 2008)
This commentary has been made free to access immediately on publication. Critical Care’s reviews and commentaries normally require a subscription for access. If you do not currently have a subscription to the journal you can register for a free 30-day trial.
All research articles published in Critical Care are open access.
Surayya Johar
In-house Editor, Critical Care
Posted by Iain Hrynaszkiewicz at 18:50 Comments (0)
Survey assesses CONSORT Statement enforcement by high impact factor medical journals
A survey of journal editors and journal ‘Instructions to Authors’ has identified that the quality of randomized controlled trial reporting could be improved by greater enforcement of the reporting recommendations identified in the CONSORT statement. The survey's results are published in Trials, a BioMed Central journal dedicated to all aspect of the design, performance, and findings of
randomized controlled trials.
The use of reporting guidelines is important to ensure accuracy and
transparency of publications. CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) is an internationally recognized
set of guidelines for authors on how to prepare reports of trial findings, and has been endorsed by the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), and over 200 journals worldwide.
Hopewell et al., examined the online version of ‘Instructions to Authors’ for 165 high impact factor medical journals and also surveyed the Editor-in-Chief or editorial office about their journal’s endorsement of CONSORT.
Thirty-eight percent (62/165) of journals mentioned the CONSORT Statement in their online ‘Instructions to Authors; of these 37% (23/62) stated this was a requirement, 63% (39/62) were less clear in their recommendations. Of the 39% of journals whose Editors responded to the online survey, 88% (50/57) of journals recommended authors comply with the CONSORT Statement with 62% (35/56) indicating that CONSORT compliance was a requirement.
The authors conclude that some journals could be more explicit in their recommendations and expectations of authors regarding the CONSORT Statement and its related extensions, if the CONSORT Statement is to fully yield the benefits for which it was intended.
Research
Endorsement
of the CONSORT Statement by high impact factor medical journals: a
survey of journal editors and journal 'Instructions to Authors'
Sally Hopewell, Douglas G Altman, David Moher, Kenneth F Schulz
Trials 2008, 9:20 (18 April 2008)
[Abstract] [Provisional PDF]
The CONSORT Statement and its extensions are part of the EQUATOR Network, an ‘umbrella’ organisation that brings together
developers of reporting guidelines, medical journal editors and peer
reviewers, research funding bodies and other collaborators with mutual
interest in improving the quality of research publications and of
research itself. EQUATOR is holding its launch meeting in London this June.
Trials is overseen by Doug Altman (United Kingdom), Curt Furberg (United States), Jeremy Grimshaw (Canada) and Peter Rothwell (United Kingdom), the Editors-in-Chief, and an expert editorial board. If you would like more information on the journal, please contact the editorial office.
Posted by Iain Hrynaszkiewicz at 15:11 Comments (0)
EQUATOR - Achieving transparency in the reporting of health research
The EQUATOR Network, an international initiative that aims to improve the reliability of scientific publications by promoting transparent and accurate reporting of health research, is holding its launch meeting in London, UK on Thursday 26th June 2008.
Despite the efforts of researchers, editors and peer reviewers, some published studies are poorly reported. The use of reporting guidelines can lead to the improved accuracy and transparency of publications and several internationally recognized guidelines (e.g. CONSORT, STARD) have been developed through a collaboration of experts, methodologists and journal editors. But they are still not widely used by researchers or supported by many medical journals.
The aim of the meeting, 'Achieving transparency in reporting health research,' is to aid better understanding of problems associated with health research reporting and use of reporting guidelines. It will discuss potential solutions that can lead to the improvement of the health research literature.
The meeting contributors
include Professor Doug Altman (University of Oxford), a key member of the
CONSORT group and co-Editor-in-Chief of Trials, BioMed Central's journal dedicated to investigating all aspects of the design, performance, and findings of
randomized controlled trials relating to healthcare.
BioMed Central and its journals have long-supported initiatives aimed at improving the reporting of biomedical research and the relevant BioMed Central journals can be found on the growing list of CONSORT endorsers.
Posted by Iain Hrynaszkiewicz at 14:33 Comments (0)
C. difficile review and commentary published in Critical Care
A new Infection thematic review series, led by Dr Steven Opal (Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, USA) has just been launched in Critical Care, with the first article published being a timely paper documenting the global spread of Clostridium difficile.
Described as a good reference for clinicians faced with this issue, the authors Carolyn V Gould and L Clifford McDonald, from the Centers for Disease Control, detail the pathogenesis, diagnosis and possible treatment strategies in this most topical of hospital-acquired infections. The onus is on healthcare professionals to maintain awareness of the changing epidemiology of the disease, as well introducing measures to reduce the risk to patients.
In a related commentary, Aurora Pop-Vicas and Marguerite Neill (Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island) reiterate the statements made in the review, and conclude that only through following basic standards of hygiene will slow down the spread of transmission, placing the responsibility squarely ‘in our hands’.
Review
Bench-to-bedside review: Clostridium difficile colitis
Carolyn V Gould, L Clifford McDonald
Critical Care 2007, 12:203 (18 January 2008)
[Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]Commentary
Clostridium difficile: the increasingly difficult pathogen
Aurora Pop-Vicas, Marguerite A Neill
Critical Care 2008, 12:114 (7 February 2008)
[Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]
More authoritative reviews in this exciting new series will be published continuously online in the coming weeks and months. Critical Care’s reviews and commentaries require a subscription for access, but if you do not currently have a subscription to the journal, you can register for a free 30-day trial.
All research articles published in Critical Care are open access.
Surayya Johar
In-house Editor, Critical Care
Posted by Iain Hrynaszkiewicz at 13:25 Comments (2)
Osteopathic Medicine and Primary Care celebrates its first birthday and looks to the future
To
commemorate its first year of publication, the Editors-in-Chief of Osteopathic Medicine and Primary Care, John Licciardone and Roberto Cardarelli, have published
an editorial detailing the
progress of the journal to date, and looking forwards the future.
The article comments on the benefits of open access for the community, current submission to publication times and plans to bring these down to 120 days in 2008, and invites readers to post comments on published articles. The Editors also detail information on journal fund they have established to assist with payment of the article-processing charge.
Osteopathic Medicine and Primary Care publishes articles on all aspects of osteopathic and allopathic treatment, as well as research relevant to the provision of primary care services.Posted by Charlotte Hubbard at 12:54 Comments (2)
Improving patient recruitment to clinical trials
Several articles recently published in Trials, BioMed Central's journal dedicated to investigating any aspect of the design, performance, and findings of
randomized controlled trials, all explore the issue of improving patient recruitment to clinical trials. The five articles highlight a number of factors that can influence the often-challenging recruitment process.
Education
In their report of patient recruitment to the Women's International Study of long Duration Oestrogen after Menopause (WISDOM) trial, Paine et al., found
that conducting group seminars with potential participants, providing information about hormone therapy and the trial prior to a screening interview was a useful strategy for maximizing recruitment to this large, long-term trial.
Multi-centre collaboration
Rahbari and colleagues report that the establishment of a network of clinical trial centres with affiliated clinical sites improves integration and conduct of multi-centre randomized controlled trials, in a surgical setting.
Automated identification
In their case study, Dugas and colleagues found that routine hospital information system (HIS) data can support recruitment of suitable patients for inclusion in acute myeloid leukemia trials, identified by means of an automated notification workflow.
Targeted recruitment teams
Female students at 22 universities
and further education colleges were recruited to a Chlamydia screening trial by female research
assistants working in pairs. In their study, Atherton et al., concluded that the key to attaining recruitment targets was the enthusiasm of the research team.
Marketing
Francis and colleagues present a structured assessment framework, derived from
the Medical Research Council's Corticosteroid Randomization after
Significant Head injury (CRASH) trial, in setting out 12 factors that
may affect the success of a clinical trial’s marketing activities,
which can in turn have implications for patient recruitment and overall
trial performance.
All articles are online and available open access:
Seminars may increase recruitment to randomised controlled trials: lessons learned from WISDOM
Bronwen J Paine, Nigel P Stocks, Alastair H MacLennanA concept for trial institutions focussing on randomised controlled trials in surgery
Nuh N. Rahbari, Markus K. Diener, Lars Fischer, Moritz N. Wente, Peter Kienle, Markus W. Buchler, Christoph M. SeilerWorkflow to improve patient recruitment for clinical trials within hospital information systems - a case-study
Martin Dugas, Matthias Lange, Wolfgang E Berdel, Carsten Muller-TidowRecruitment of young women to a trial of chlamydia screening – as easy as it sounds?
Helen Atherton, Debbie Banks, Ruth Harbit, Linzie Long, Fiona Chadd, Phillip Hay, Sally Kerry, Ian Simms, Pippa OakeshottMarketing and clinical trials: a case study
David Francis, Ian Roberts, Diana R Elbourne, Haleema Shakur, Rosemary C Knight, Jo Garcia, Claire Snowdon, Vikki A Entwistle, Alison M McDonald, Adrian M Grant, Marion K Campbell
Trials is overseen by Doug Altman (United Kingdom), Curt Furberg (United States), Jeremy Grimshaw (Canada) and Peter Rothwell (United Kingdom), the Editors-in-Chief, and an expert editorial board. If you would like more information on the journal, please contact the editorial office.
Posted by Iain Hrynaszkiewicz at 16:24 Comments (1)
BMC Medical Genomics publishes first articles
Today sees the publication of the first articles in BMC Medical Genomics. The biological sciences have been transformed by the recent explosion in genomic technology and genome sequencing projects and the next decade will see a similar revolution in medicine. BMC Medical Genomics aims to maximize the visibility and impact of this vital and growing field of research.
BMC Medical Genomics publishes articles on functional genomics, genome structure, genome-scale population genetics, epigenomics, proteomics, systems analysis and pharmacogenomics in relation to human health and disease, and is indexed by PubMed, BIOSIS, CAS, EMBASE, and Google Scholar.
By providing information on the interaction between genes, drugs and diseases, genomic approaches to medicine promise to contribute to the delivery of personalized and individual medical treatment. This is of particular relevance as these technologies increase in affordability and availability, especially given the enormous costs of the latest generation pharmaceutical drugs that often have serious side-effects or fail to work in significant sub-categories of patients.
The journal is entirely open access - all articles will be immediately available to read online at no charge to the reader. The availability of relevant published peer-reviewed research to clinicians, researchers, and patients is particularly important, especially given the rapid growth of commercial genetic testing and the concerns that have been raised about the lack of validation of such tests.
The first articles published today in BMC Medical Genomics display the breadth of topics covered by the journal, including molecular subtyping (McDonnell et al.) and biomarker profiling (Gast et al.), as well as fine mapping of chromosomal aberrations in bladder cancers (Heidenblad et al.), and the characterization of putative new signaling mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of diseases such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes (Avasarala et al.).
These articles also demonstrate the broad range of genomic techniques that fall within the scope of the journal, such as expression profiling (Avasarala et al.), array CGH (Heidenblad et al.), tissue microarrays (McDonnell et al.), proteomic technologies (Gast et al.) and SNP genotyping using arrayed primer extension (Podder et al.).
BMC Medical Genomics is edited by a team of in-house and Associate Editors and supported by an impressive international Editorial Board. As with the other medical journals in the BMC series, BMC Medical Genomics will use open peer review; the names of the peer reviewers will be known to the authors and the reports will be made public alongside the published article.
If you would like to be involved in the journal as a reviewer, Editorial Board Member, or Associate Editor, please contact us.
Scott Edmunds
Senior Assistant Editor
BMC-series Journals
Posted by Matt Hodgkinson at 14:00 Comments (0)
BMC Public Health reaches 1000th article
BMC Public Health has the honor of publishing its 1,000th article. BMC Public Health is the first medical journal in the BMC-series to reach this symbolic milestone, following in the footsteps of BMC Bioinformatics in 2006 and BMC Genomics last year. The 1,000th article, "Does economic development contribute to sex differences in ischaemic heart disease mortality? Hong Kong as a natural experiment using a case-control study" by Prof Gabriel Leung and his colleagues from the University of Hong Kong offers the suggestion that the excess risk of heart disease among men in developed countries may be determined during puberty.
We'd like to thank Prof Leung for his support of BMC Public Health, both as an author and as a frequent peer reviewer for the series. We would also like to take this opportunity to say our thanks to all the authors who have submitted to the journal over the years, to our editorial board and to our peer reviewers for their time, effort and expertise.
We would also like to thank our readers, of whom hundreds of thousands have accessed our top ten most viewed articles over the last seven years. More than 28,000 readers have viewed our most accessed article, which examines bacterial contamination of water purification systems, a particular concern in hospital settings. The most viewed articles also include work with the striking result that even occasional passive smoking increases the chance of developing acute heart problems by over 25%. In addition to that study on passive smoking, BMC Public Health has been an important contributor to the debate around the banning of smoking in the public places, which finally came into force in England and Wales last year.
We have broken many national and international news stories, including the finding that South Asians living in Scotland are significantly more likely to suffer a heart attack than the rest of the Scottish population, which was covered by the BBC, and the worrying news that the half of the health workers polled in the US were planning to stay at home if there is a flu pandemic, which received worldwide coverage including in USA Today, the BBC, the Daily Mail and the Jerusalem Post. Open access means that everyone reading these stories in the media was able to read the original research immediately and for no charge.
The impact of the work published by BMC Public Health is reflected by its ranking by SCImago in the top quarter of public health journals and by the fact that its articles have been cited nearly 2,500 times.
If you are a researcher in epidemiology or public health medicine, we'd like to invite you to submit your next research article to the journal. And if you would like to be more involved in BMC Public Health, please contact me.
Annabel Phillips, PhD
In-house Editor
BMC Public Health
Posted by Matt Hodgkinson at 11:05 Comments (0)
Medscape develops Continuing Medical Education based on open access research articles
Several open access articles published by BioMed Central have recently been used by Medscape to produce Continuing Medical Education (CME) material. These articles span a broad range of specialties, including general practice, psychiatry, surgery, endocrinology, and preventive medicine.
It is wonderful to see open access research being used in this way to create CME. A key advantage of open access is the opportunity it provides to reuse published research to educate researchers, clinicians and the general public. BioMed Central is planning increased activity in the area of medical education over the coming months. We are working with Medscape to increase the number of CME activities created from BioMed Central articles, including the use of case reports from the Journal of Medical Case Reports. The latest journal metrics also show that BMC Medical Education is rapidly establishing a reputation for itself in this field, and we hope to build on the success of this journal. Lastly, plans are being developed for a new Journal of Clinical Education Resources, scheduled to launch in the first half of 2008.
Melissa Norton MD
BMC-series Editor-in-Chief
List of Medscape CME based on BioMed Central articles
| Journal | Article-based CME |
| BMC Psychiatry | Attitudes to Antipsychotic Drugs and Their Side |
| Harm Reduction Journal | A review of the evidence for the effectiveness of primary prevention interventions for Hepatitis C among injecting drug users |
| BMC Public Health |
Racial/Ethnic and social class differences in preventive care practices among persons with diabetes |
| BMC Surgery | Diagnostic value of blood inflammatory markers for detection of acute appendicitis in children |
| Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Which health-related quality of life score? A comparision of alternative utility measures in patients with Type 2 diabetes in the ADVANCE trial. |
| BMC Family Practice |
Update: May 6th 2008
An up to date list of CME items based on BioMed Central open access content is now available from the MEDSCAPE website.
Posted by Matthew Cockerill at 14:44 Comments (0)
Alzheimer’s article in Journal of Neuroinflammation catches media attention
An article reporting a reversal of Alzheimer’s symptoms has captured the attention of science journalists around the globe.
The case report, published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, describes a dramatic reversal of Alzheimer’s symptoms in a patient following treatment using the anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) therapeutic, etanercept.
Coverage has included a 3 minute broadcast feature on CNN, with newspaper reports spanning the world from the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail to the Australian Herald Sun, and web coverage including ScienceDaily, Ars Technica and Slashdot.
Matt McKay
Head of PR, BioMed Central
Posted by Matthew Cockerill at 18:13 Comments (0)
Journal of Medical Case Reports has launched a blog to keep readers up to date with news from this exciting new journal.
JMCR publishes open access case reports across all medical disciplines, which will be aggregated into an online, fully searchable database, creating a valuable resource for clinicians and researchers.
The journal welcomes submission of any case report that expands general medical knowledge. Visit the journal website to view the broad range of cases published to date.
Posted by Elizabeth.Slade at 15:54 Comments (0)
BioMed Central journals relevant to nursing and allied healthcare now indexed by Cinahl
We are pleased to announce that 9 BioMed Central journals
have recently been accepted for indexing by Cinahl,
which indexes titles relevant to nursing and allied healthcare.
The journals are:
- BMC Nursing
- BMC Oral Health
- BMC Women's Health
- Breast Cancer Research
- Chinese Medicine
- Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation
- International Breastfeeding Journal
- Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
- Osteopathic Medicine and Primary Care
In addition, all of these titles are included in PubMed, PubMed Central and Scopus. Full details of all indexing services which cover BioMed Central journals are available from our website.
Posted by Charlotte Hubbard at 19:16 Comments (0)