General Medicine Top Stories for 2009
The editors’ and readers’ top stories from the past year
Everyone seems to enjoy “Top 10″ lists. So, this year, in addition to our usual practice of providing an Annual Review of what the Journal Watch General Medicine editors considered to be the most important thematic areas in clinical research, we’re also introducing a new feature: Top Editors’ Choices and Top Readers’ Choices.
The Editor’s Choices are 10 summaries that the Journal Watch General Medicine editors believe are especially important single summaries that were published in Journal Watch General Medicine this year. The Editors’ Choices essentially reflect the stories in our Annual Review feature and highlight what we considered to be the most compelling article that was discussed in each reviewed area.
In contrast, the Readers’ Choices are the summaries that were viewed most often by online registered users and subscribers. The Readers’ Choices lean more toward summaries that answer point-of-care questions (“Should I prescribe vitamin D to all of my older patients?”). As the top pick, readers chose an essay on tight glucose control (“How Much Evidence Do We Need to Change Practices in Which We Firmly Believe?”) that generated an international discussion on the “Reader Remarks” portion of our website.
We hope that you’ll examine these lists and consider reviewing the summaries that they comprise. In each case, our readers, editors, or both feel that the selected summaries are important to your practice. You might find your own personal favorite in one of these lists or discover some hidden pearls that escaped your attention. If you would like to express your personal opinions on any of these summaries, please feel free to use our “Reader Remarks” feature, which is available for every Journal Watch summary.
Best wishes for 2010.
— Allan S. Brett, MD
Our Year in Review stories for 2009 are:
Published in Journal Watch General Medicine December 29, 2009
Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Top Stories of 2009
Three perspectives on the top stories of the year and a fond farewell to two board members
Dear Readers,
Each year, the editors of Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine choose the top 10 pediatric stories from our published summaries. This year, we again provide three top 10 lists. Our editors chose the stories that they believe to be most important to you and your practices to create the Editors’ Choice list. Our resident editor, Sara Bergman Lewis, MD, polled her resident colleagues to create the Residents’ Choice list. Finally, we looked to you, our readers, to compile the Most Read Online list.
The three lists have some overlap and some expected differences. Clearly, the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus dominated our medical landscape in 2009. The resident list represents a mix of resident interests: practical, prudent, and forward thinking. According to Sarah, residents seek evidence that supports what they do, or refrain from doing, in the hospital and clinic, and are interested in novel ideas to improve their practices.
In 2010, two editors will end their terms on the Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine editorial board. Both editors have been writing for Journal Watch since its inception. William P. Kanto, MD, has provided insightful coverage of neonatal medicine and has injected a historical perspective into many summaries throughout the years. Judith G. Hall, OC, MD, has taught us and kept us informed about the rapidly evolving field of genetics. Their insights have added greatly to our publication, and we will continue to seek their unique perspectives as contributing editors in the future.
We hope that you will peruse the top 10 lists and consider reading the stories, even if you have read them before. Let us know what you think by sending us an e-mail at jwpeds@mms.org.
Best wishes for 2010,
— F. Bruder Stapleton, MD
Published in Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine December 30, 2009
Journal Watch Women’s Health Events of 2009
A new perspective on the most important research in the field from the past year
Dear Readers,
In 2009, Journal Watch Women’s Health saw a number of changes to its Editorial Board. I am pleased to tell you that the latest of these developments is the promotion of Wendy Biggs, MD, to the position of Deputy Editor. This appointment is timely and well deserved; since Wendy joined our board as an Associate Editor in 2006, she has consistently applied her expertise in family medicine to strengthen our coverage of the broadening spectrum of issues in women’s health.
This year, we also introduce a new feature to our readers: Journal Watch Women’s Health Top Stories of 2009. We compiled two lists generated from two sources. First, Wendy and I selected the stories that we believe to be most important to you and your practice to create a list of Editors’ Top Choices. Second, we looked to you, our readers, for the Readers’ Top Choices list. In the Readers’ Choices list, you’ll find the 10 summaries that were viewed most often by online registered users and subscribers.
The two lists have some overlap and some interesting differences. The novel influenza A (H1N1) virus has dominated the clinical landscape; other topics that are found on both lists are the evolving perspectives on hormone therapy and the new options in emergency contraception. The updated screening guidelines for breast cancer and cervical cytology have garnered much attention; these stories probably would have appeared on the Readers’ Choices list had they not emerged so late in 2009.
We hope that you will peruse these lists and consider reading the stories, even if you have read them before. Please enjoy this new feature — and feel free to send us an e-mail at jwwh@mms.org or use our “Reader Remarks” feature, which is available at the bottom of this letter (and every Journal Watch Women’s Health summary), to let us know what you think.
Best wishes for 2010,
— Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD and Wendy S. Biggs, MD
Published in Journal Watch Women’s Health December 31, 2009
