PCOM launches scientific journal directed at integrated primary care

Key takeaways:

• Despite a growing area of medicine, integrated care has not been frequently addressed by prior publications.
• The journal’s first issue will be released in the fall and then quarterly thereafter.

The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine announced today that it has launched its first peer-reviewed scientific journal, the Journal of Integrated Primary Care.

According to a press release, the open-access online journal aims to increase the evidence base related to integrated health education, practice and intervention.

“The field of primary care is increasingly adopting integrated health care models because this approach is very patient centered, in addition to being both cost and clinically effective,” Michelle R. Lent, PhD, an associate professor in the department of clinical psychology at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), told Healio.

Lent will serve as one of the journal’s two editors-in-chief, alongside PCOM School of Professional and Applied Psychology Dean Robert A. DiTomasso, PhD, ABPP.

Integrated care involves collaborations among several medical specialties, including behavioral health, nursing, internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, physical therapy and pharmacy.

“Primary care is often the first place that patients visit for health care, and therefore, primary care providers see a wide range of presenting medical and behavioral concerns,” Lent said. “Integrated primary care maximizes the opportunity to treat the whole patient through close collaboration and coordination of integrated health providers.”

The journal’s primary focus is not one often seen in other publications, Lent added.

“There are currently numerous journals that focus on either multidisciplinary care or primary care, but there is a need for a place to publish best practices and novel research on the burgeoning field of integrated primary care,” she said.

The release noted that the Journal of Integrated Primary Care (JIPC) will accept original papers, reviews, meta-analyses and case studies that are intended to guide and inform medical professionals and students across various settings.

“We hope that this journal provides a place for any clinician, researcher or administrator working in integrated primary care to learn about the most up-to-date models of practice and research in this field,” Lent said.

JIPC’s first issue will be published in the fall and follow a quarterly schedule afterward. Each issue is expected to contain four to five observational and experimental studies on integrated care, according to the release.

“Integrated primary care is constantly changing, updating and innovating, and we hope that this journal captures the dynamic and exciting progress occurring at a rapid pace,” Lent said.

Reference:

• PCOM launches its first academic journal, focusing on integrated primary care. https://www.pcom.edu/campuses/philadelphia-campus/news-and-events/pcom-news/pcom-launches-journal-of-integrated-primary-care.html. Published May 3, 2023. Accessed May 3, 2023.