To the members of the Quality Management in Health Care (QMHC) community:
It has been a busy year since my last Editor's communication! I have learned much about the publishing process and its challenges and rewards. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who make the journal possible!
A few updates that I hope will be of interest: First, we have overhauled the full Information for Authors (IFA) on the QMHC Web site at https://journals.lww.com/qmhcjournal (click on the "For Authors" dropdown menu). We have enhanced the clarity of the IFA with descriptions of the specific types of papers we accept; of abstract and manuscript length and sections; and of the review process and assessment criteria. Also at the Web site, you can sign up to receive the journal's Table of Contents by e-mail so that you will know what's in the latest issue as soon as it comes out! We will soon offer free access to one article from each of the 2019 issues for a limited time, so be sure to visit QMHC on the Web!
Second, I am pleased to announce that we currently have an open call for papers on methods of root cause analysis (RCA) and related techniques for analysis of sentinel and rare adverse events. In the past 3 decades, we have seen an increasing role for RCA in health care but little change in rates of adverse events. QMHC is interested in documenting the evidence for effectiveness of RCA.
During the past 3 decades, there has also been an explosion of papers on causal analysis (including propensity scoring and causal networks). QMHC is interested in papers that apply modern causal analysis to understanding root causes of sentinel events. Submissions may be exploratory or may describe data barriers for quantitative analysis of rare events. Manuscripts could also compare current methods of RCA to modern methods of causal analysis. See the QMHC Web site for the link to the submission system: The call deadline is June 1, 2020.
In closing, I would like to share my appreciation for the Editorial Board members and many other experts who review manuscripts for QMHC. I join other journal editors in voicing the difficulty identifying qualified reviewers who are willing to make time to review. To those who do, thank you! You are safeguarding the advancement of science and the careers of young researchers who will someday lead the field.
Sincerely,
-Jill A. Marsteller, PhD, MPP
Editor-in-Chief