New Family Medicine Research Journal Launches

Annals of Family Medicine Provides a Forum for Original Primary Care Research

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2003

Contact:
Angela Lower
(800) 274-2237 ext. 5224
alower@aafp.org

LEAWOOD, Kan. - Six family medicine organizations today launched the Annals of Family Medicine, a new peer-reviewed research journal that provides a cross-disciplinary forum for new evidence-based information affecting the primary care discipline.

The publication is an unprecedented collaborative effort of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Board of Family Practice (ABFP), the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM), the Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM), the Association of Family Practice Residency Directors (AFPRD) and the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG).

Published six times per year, the Annals will provide original research from the clinical, biomedical, social and health services sciences, as well as contributions on methodology and theory, selected reviews, essays and editorials.

The new journal is led by editor Kurt Stange, M.D., Ph.D., a family physician and professor of family medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics, oncology and sociology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. A member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science, Stange also directs the Center for Research in Family Practice and Primary Care, one of three research centers funded by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Stange currently serves as president of the North American Primary Care Research Group.

"At a time when more American men, women and children are receiving medical care in the offices of primary care physicians than any other medical setting, it is important that we support the growth of the primary care knowledge base," said Stange. "Annals of Family Medicine provides a scientific foundation for an integrated, whole-person approach to health care that bridges the boundaries between disciplines."

The journal is managed by an independent board of directors with representation from each of the six sponsoring organizations and is administered by the AAFP. The journal accepts no pharmaceutical advertisements, but does include classified ads and ads on education.

The full editorial contents are available at no charge on the Annals Web site, www.annfammed.org. The full text of the articles, available in HTML and PDF formats, also are available online through each of the sponsoring organizations' Web sites.

Additionally, the Annals Web site features an interactive online forum, TRACK: Topical Response to the Annals Community of Knowledge, which will allow diverse readers to actively engage in discussion of the implications of published articles.

"The Annals seeks to support investigation and stimulate interaction among the learning communities it serves," Stange said. "A key component to our effort, the TRACK forum will encourage conversations between authors, readers and other commentators."

Mirroring the complexities, opportunities and paradoxes of primary care, the Annals will serve as a resource and teaching tool for the entire field of medicine. The six collaborating organizations recognize the importance of an integrated, patient-centered approach to high-quality health care and believe the journal will stimulate conversation among physicians, other health care professionals, researchers, teachers, students, patients and caregivers.

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Editor's Note:
Please visit the following Web sites for more information about the sponsoring organizations:

AAFP: www.aafp.org
ABFP: www.abfp.org
STFM: www.stfm.org
AFPRD: www.afprd.org
NAPCRG: www.napcrg.org
ADFM: www.adfammed.org