I write this editorial transition statement with mixed feelings. Our patients, communities, and families have all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the scars will require quite some time to heal. For physicians, the pandemic has brought about unique challenges to the way we practice medicine. We have felt united by a sense of purpose, fighting together against a common enemy. We have also learned to rely on technology more than ever as a way of connecting with each other and with our patients. During this global emergency, virtual meetings have brought us together, and telehealth has eliminated barriers and significantly improved access to health care for many patients and their families. Nevertheless, these dramatic changes in human interaction have also brought a new element of isolation, stress, and uncertainty into our lives.
As we enter a new, and hopefully final, stage of the pandemic, thanks to broader availability of vaccines, I feel that there is no better time to come together and begin building a stronger, united community. This is my motivation as our new editorial team embarks on a mission to further develop the journal with a heavy focus on inclusion, where all voices will be heard. Our growing editorial team and editorial board are not only made up of outstanding leaders, clinicians, and researchers, but they also embody the cultural diversity that gives our journal a unique voice internationally. We will be relentless in our effort to remove barriers, embrace innovation, and continue to break the mold!
I was honored to succeed Dr. John Corboy as editor of Neurology® Clinical Practice this past October. Under his leadership, the journal saw outstanding growth in relevance and scope. In 2020 and 2021, a total of more than 500 research articles and more than 200 reviews were submitted. Other submission types have been introduced and shown consistent growth, including cases, commentaries, and special article types such as Five New Things.
Neurology: Clinical Practice has expanded substantially since the first issue was published over 10 years ago. I have been fortunate to be part of the editorial team since 2015 when we created Practice Current. With great teamwork, and out-of-the-box thinking, this section has become an exciting digital resource that readers have been enjoying with growing enthusiasm all around the world.
I am an academic pediatric epileptologist and clinical and translational researcher. Some of our readers may wonder if the journal is on its way to becoming a purely research journal, but the answer is no. We will not lose our strong connection to neurology practice, and, thanks to pluralism of expertise and background, we will continue in our mission to offer useful, relevant, and innovative content that neurology practitioners will find valuable and impactful. At the same time, NCP has committed to carving a novel, refreshing niche in clinical research within the AAN family of journals.
My vision is to focus on developing complementary aspects of the journal by:
Featuring more practice-oriented content, addressing topics related to general practice, billing and coding, wellness and burnout, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, telehealth, health care policy, and financial management.
Increasing the amount of clinical research that focuses on patient-related outcomes and quality in neurologic care. Our aim is to provide the knowledge to all neurology practitioners to offer a safe, unbiased, patient-centered care in all settings. I strongly encourage submission of original research articles and meta-analyses/systematic reviews on these topics. We are exploring new ways to ensure prompt publication and rapid dissemination taking advantage of digital media.
Continuing to publish case reports online, prioritizing those that will help neurologists in all career stages and practice settings to diagnose and treat patients who present with challenging symptoms and conditions. The goal is not to highlight only novel, exotic cases, but rather to present cases that pose therapeutic challenges and promote discussion of state-of-the-art therapies. We are particularly interested in case reports that take advantage of digital media, including for example interactive pathways, and videos.
Introducing updated article categories that will further inform clinical practice. For example, Five New Things will become Innovations in Neurologic Practice, presenting short, focused pieces on the most impactful aspects of care in neurology. These articles will highlight up-to-date diagnostic tools and treatment strategies for the benefit of community and hospital-based practitioners.
Continuing to grow Practice Current and Practice Buzz and engaging international readers with new surveys on hot topics in clinical neurology as well as expert commentaries. Under the leadership of the newly appointed editors of the section, Dr. Aravind Ganesh and Dr. Alonso Zea-Vera, you are all invited to submit your ideas and feedback for new topics to be addressed in these sections of the journal.
Strengthening our collaboration with the AAN Digital Team, offering innovative online content that will be available to all our subscribers, both nationally and internationally.
Expanding our partnership with the Neurology podcast team, creating moderated roundtables with expert panelists on Practice Current topics. We will also collaborate on the creation of new content that is relevant to clinical neurologists, such as discussion of the initial workup or treatment of a common neurologic condition.
Broadening our mutual exchange with the dynamic and energetic Neurology Resident & Fellow Section by offering an opportunity for promising graduating trainees to join our reviewer pool and editorial team.
To fulfill our mission to make NCP the leading journal for inclusion, I encourage all adult and pediatric neurology practitioners, both in the United States and internationally to submit their research and practice-related articles to us. We are your community and your voice.
Send me your comments at NCPjournal{at}neurology.org. I look forward to collaborating with you to shape the future of this outstanding journal.
Study Funding
No targeted funding reported.
Disclosure
Full disclosure form information provided by the author is available with the full text of this article at Neurology.org/cp.
Footnotes
Funding information and disclosures are provided at the end of the article. Full disclosure form information provided by the authors is available with the full text of this article at Neurology.org/cp.
- © 2021 American Academy of Neurology
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