MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Rethinking Chicago Medicine

“Writing, the art of communicating thoughts to the mind through the eye, is the great invention of the world.”
—Abraham Lincoln

From the founding of the Chicago Medical Society (CMS), written communication with the membership has been a top priority. In 1891, the Society launched the Chicago Medical Recorder, followed by the Bulletin of the Chicago Medical Society in 1927. Then CMS introduced Chicago Medicine in 1961. The publication was redesigned into a four-color format just two years ago. With this issue, the editors wish to further refine the format, increase the clinical utility, and improve communication with members.

Array of Sections

Individual magazine sections continue to focus on clinical updates, practice management, continuing medical education, public health, and advocacy. Experienced health care writers, Bruce Japsen, and Howard Wolinsky, have contributed articles. Since June 2012, the Health Law Section of the American Bar Association has contributed 35 works, including reviews of physician contracting and government program acronyms: ACA, ERISA, HIPAA, and RAC. Chicago Medicine also includes updates from the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) and the resident/student sections.

We will be implementing a clinical review section on topics of general medical interest. Glenn Nordehn, DO, associate dean of clinical education and chair of the department of internal medicine at Midwestern University, has graciously offered to help review and edit the section contributions, with the assistance of university specialists.

Author Instructions

We have posted the new editorial guidelines and policies on the CMS website. The recommendations—for form, length, and content—are intended for prospective authors. Commercial disclosures are required. The editors consider the guidelines an evolving document that should be updated at least annually.

The increased popularity of Chicago Medicine has also necessitated a more formal approach to intellectual property. Authors will now be required to sign copyright transfer agreements, as already required by major medical journals. These transfer agreements will permit CMS to safely place such transferred material on the CMS website.

Interaction with Members

We are aware that the correspondence sections of medical journals are often among the most popular. Physicians like to interact with the editors, and other readers are drawn to the exchange of ideas. Chicago Medicine will now accept letters to the editor for publication. These letters may refer to a specific article or may pertain to the magazine itself. Time-sensitive letters will be directed to the website for prompter publication.

Finally, the editors of Chicago Medicine wish to make a formal appeal for articles from our membership. The editors are interested in hearing from members about the issues that affect physician practice. Prospective authors are encouraged to contact co-editor Elizabeth Sidney (esidney@cmsdocs.org) in advance for guidance on any submission. Due to space constraints, not all submissions are published, and some will appear only on the CMS website.

President Lincoln was not alone in his respect for written communication. Our more than 5,000 readers continue to demand and receive an ever-improved editorial product.

Robert W. Panton, MD
President, Chicago Medical Society