JAMA Internal Medicine—Providing Compelling, Credible, Timely, and Essential Evidence (2024)

We live in a time of breathtaking advances in biomedicine. During my lifetime, scientific breakthroughs have made previously fatal or debilitating diseases treatable with revolutionary new drugs or molecularly targeted approaches for AIDS, hepatitis, cancer, and many other conditions across the full spectrum of internal medicine. Medical discovery has also helped set the stage for the highly accelerated development of the COVID-19 vaccine—one of the greatest scientific achievements in history. In stark juxtaposition to these advances, we are facing unprecedented challenges and stressors to our health care systems. Misinformation and distrust of scientists and physicians, burnout and critical shortages of health care professionals, and inundation of scientific information from multiple sources and media are at all-time highs just as health care institutions and medical insurance programs are facing unprecedented threats of financial insolvency. At the same time, accumulating environmental exposures and stressors related to climate change, deep-seated racism and ageism, rampant inequity, and inadequate health care delivery further threaten those most in need. Never has there been a greater imperative to provide balanced, vetted, trustworthy evidence and information to nurture and guide medicine and the health care system.

To address this challenge, my overarching goal as incoming Editor in Chief of JAMA Internal Medicine is to provide an indispensable and trustworthy source of peer-reviewed evidence to advance the field of internal medicine worldwide. I hope to center the journal around 4 core priorities—or “4 Cs”—that have guided all my work: clinical relevance, clinical practice change, credibility, and effective, convincing communication. My aim is to provide a clinically compelling, timely, and essential resource for academics, clinicians, educators, researchers, and trainees across the entire field of internal medicine. My intent is for the journal to have global focus and reach, with articles that are relevant and generalizable to individuals, communities, and countries worldwide.

I am delighted to welcome a truly superb editorial leadership team to achieve these goals. The team will include continuing deputy editors, Deborah Grady, MD, MPH, of University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Mitchell H. Katz, MD, of New York City Health and Hospitals, and continuing associate editors, Kenneth E. Covinsky, MD, MPH, of UCSF, Raegan W. Durant, MD, MPH, of University of Alabama–Birmingham (additionally serving as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Associate Editor), Cary P. Gross, MD, of Yale University, and Tracy Wang, MD, MHS, MSc, of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. This seasoned team will be joined by new associate editors, Giselle Corbie, MD, MSc, of University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, Ishani Ganguli, MD, MPH, of Harvard University, and Lona Mody, MD, MSc, of University of Michigan, and new statistical editors, Heather Gwynn Allore, MS, PhD, of Yale University, and Yorghos Tripodis, PhD, of Boston University. In addition, Louise Aronson, MD, MFA, of UCSF, will join the team as our new Viewpoints and Online Editor, and Michael Incze, MD, of University of Utah, will serve as the new Section Editor for Clinical Review and Education. Tanner Caverly, MD, MPH, of University of Michigan, and Brandon Combs, MD, of University of Colorado, will continue as our Teachable Moments editors. Nora Goldschlager, MD, of UCSF, and Zachary D. Goldberger, MD, MS, of University of Wisconsin, will continue as our Section Editors for Challenges in Clinical Electrocardiography. This team includes thought leaders with tremendous clinical and methodologic expertise spanning the broad range of internal medicine. I look forward to working closely with Marian Weidner, our outstanding and experienced Editorial Manager, and Terri Carter as Editorial Assistant. I thank the ongoing commitment of members of our Editorial Board. Finally, the journal could not function without the incredible support of the JAMA Network editorial and publishing operations teams.

Our main priority will remain publishing the highest-quality original research. We will continue popular features including Teachable Moments, Clinical Challenges (broadened to encompass all subspecialties of internal medicine), and Patient Pages. We plan new and expanded content in several areas. Under the leadership of Dr Michael Incze, we will expand the Clinical Review and Education section with a variety of content to advance clinical practice and education relevant to all of internal medicine. We plan clinical reviews and brief clinical Insights by leading experts across fields to synthesize and summarize the latest evidence and address controversial topics in an accessible and clinically relevant fashion—to guide clinical practice and spur practice change. We will launch this section with articles addressing substance use disorder, obesity, dementia, and women’s health. We welcome your input on topics of clinical importance that you wish to see published in the journal.

Under the leadership of Dr Louise Aronson, we will expand our opinion and editorials sections. The Viewpoints section will continue with the addition of invited commentary on timely and controversial topics in internal medicine of relevance to clinical practice and policy. The new Perspectives section, renamed “Inside Story,” under the co-leadership of Drs Louise Aronson and Deborah Grady, will include personal stories, experiences, and opinions relevant to the wide-ranging field of internal medicine.

To ensure the highest methodologic rigor, we are committed to statistical review of each accepted research article to help authors conduct and report the most appropriate methods and analyses. We also plan a new section, Guide to Statistics and Methods, under the leadership of Dr Heather Gwynn Allore, which will address advances or controversies in statistics and methods raised by current articles in an accessible and meaningful fashion for clinicians.

High-value care will remain a dedicated, ongoing series in JAMA Internal Medicine. We will issue special calls for articles on other timely and important topics on a regular basis. Connecting with authors and readers will be a high priority. Finally, outreach to practicing clinicians and trainees will be essential, and we plan expanded content, exciting podcasts, and social media offerings to reach a broader audience.

I am awed to follow in the footsteps of Rita F. Redberg, MD, MSc. During her remarkable 14-year tenure, starting in 2009, the journal transitioned from the Archives of Internal Medicine to JAMA Internal Medicine, with a rise in impact factor from less than 10 in 2009 to over 44 in 2022, placing the journal among the top-ranked in internal medicine. Her “Less Is More” theme at the journal was instrumental in promoting high-value care, balancing risks and benefits of all medical interventions, and influencing lasting changes in policy and regulatory procedures. Under her leadership, JAMA Internal Medicine dissemination statistics soared in 2022 to their highest levels ever, with over 13.8 million article downloads and 26 671 media mentions.

I want to thank Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, MAS, Gregory Curfman, MD, Annette Flanagin, RN, MA, and the entire JAMA Network team for entrusting me with this role. I would also like to extend a special thanks to Fred Rivara, MD, MPH, and Stephan Fihn, MD, MPH, who inspired and encouraged me to pursue this new role, and the entire editorial team at JAMA Network Open who provided me with such an incredible experience that prepared me for this next step. I will miss you all, and so happy to remain connected to you through the JAMA Network family.

I am deeply honored to assume the role of Editor in Chief of JAMA Internal Medicine. I view assuming this role as an opportunity to give back to the field that has nurtured and sustained me throughout my career. This position will allow me to unify and focus my diverse background and experiences as a practicing general internist and geriatrician, National Institutes of Health–funded physician-scientist, professor and educator, health policy specialist, and journalism fellow. While my career has followed many different paths, my guiding star has always been to improve health and quality of life for vulnerable populations. My vision is that JAMA Internal Medicine will provide the essential evidence and knowledge base to influence clinical practice and policy worldwide, to transform internal medicine, and ultimately, to improve health care and public health for all.

Corresponding Author: Sharon K. Inouye, MD, MPH, Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, 1200 Centre St, Boston, MA 02131 (sharon.inouye@jamanetwork.org).

Published Online: July 3, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.3172

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.