5 Questions with Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM, FACC
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Key takeaways:
- Krumholz will assume the role of editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
- His 5-year term will officially begin in July.
Healio spoke with cardiologist and researcher Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM, FACC, who was recently named editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Krumholz is the Harold H. Hines, Jr. Professor of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and director of the Yale New Haven Hospital Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation. He has previously served as founding editor of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes; founding editor of CardioExchange, a scientific social media platform of The New England Journal of Medicine; and as editor of Journal Watch Cardiology of NEJM. Krumholz also co-founded medRxiv, a leading preprint server for clinical medicine.
Krumholz, who has written more than 1,500 papers, is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and is recognized for his national and international contributions to CV care.
Krumholz began transitioning into the editor-in-chief position in January and will officially begin his 5-year term July 1, according to the ACC.
“Harlan’s creativity will allow JACC to positively evolve with these rapidly changing times,” current JACC editor-in-chief Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, MACC, said in a press release. “I am excited to see JACC under his editorship.”
Healio: Who has had the greatest influence on your career?
Krumholz: Many have influenced my career, and I owe them immense gratitude. My father was a caring and conscientious physician who inspired me about medicine. From an early age, a good doctor was the only thing I ever wanted to be. Lee Goldman, MD, MPH, was my medical school adviser, and his clear thinking and consequential research drew me to outcomes research. He supported my interests through training and launched my career. Other medical school influences came from Barbara McNeil, MD, PhD, and Donald Berwick, MD, MPP. The work of John Wennberg, MD, MPH, was also critical to my thinking. My teachers in medical school and residency included Roman DeSanctis, MD, Kanu Chatterjee, MBBS, Melvin Cheitlin, MD, William Parmley, MD, Elliot Rapaport, MD, Nora Goldschlager, MD, and Melvin Scheinman, MD. Their work inspired me to pursue cardiology. William Grossman, MD, led my fellowship program and instilled in us the critical importance of a disciplined approach to patient care and research. Barry Zaret, MD, believed in me enough to offer me a position at Yale and supported my efforts enthusiastically. Later on, I met Jerome Kassirer, MD, former editor of The New England Journal of Medicine, and he provided support and inspired me about medical publishing. The large number of people with whom I have worked — my colleagues, fellow trainees and patients — have all had a role.
Healio: What area of research in cardiology interests you most right now?
Krumholz: I am most excited about how digital transformation, advances in computing power and the democratization of data science can transform cardiovascular health outcomes and the research infrastructure. We live in a moment with immense potential to prevent disease and improve health outcomes.
Healio: What do you think patient care will look like in 10 years?
Krumholz: Patient care will be more digital, decentralized and democratized. The life sciences and data science revolutions will combine to produce more personalized approaches. Medicine will emerge as an information science that retains the key importance of personal interactions. What constitutes competence will evolve from rote memorization to the deft ability to acquire, synthesize and leverage information in the best interest of patients. But unless we invest in a better future, there is a possibility that change will worsen care and depress outcomes. It is essential that we invest in ourselves and not be passive passengers.
Healio: What advice would you offer a student in medical school?
Krumholz: You have entered the best profession in the world. People will trust you because you are a physician and you should demonstrate that you are worthy of that trust. You will meet all kinds of people and have the privilege to serve them in consequential ways. Your life will always have a purpose. Revel in what it means to be in this position, and use your education to strengthen others, help them through hard times, and support them in the pursuit of good health, as they define it. Find your place in the constellation of opportunities for doctors and give it your all. The personal rewards can be great if you are open to it.
Healio: What do you hope to bring to JACC as the new editor-in-chief?
Krumholz: I want to bring a spirit of excitement about medicine and cardiology and the belief the future can be better than the past if we invest ourselves in making it so. I will bring the courage to innovate and the humility to know we must iterate. I will bring the sense that we are here to serve patients, society and health care professionals. I will bring the experience of an author as I work with the team to become exceptionally author-centric. And I will bring an unflagging focus on acquiring the best science, adding value through peer review, disseminating and amplifying in many ways, and seeking to influence the future.
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