Medicine Today is a refereed clinical journal of review and continuing professional development. It is circulated monthly in print to 25,600 general practitioners nationally.
The print content is also published online and augmented with further articles, videos and podcasts of interest both to the Medicine Today healthcare audience and to the broader general public. Any person can purchase a subscription to read full text articles and access other resources. Our website readership currently averages 53,000 unique visitors a month globally with Australia and the USA as primary locations. As GPs comprise the main target audience, articles submitted to Medicine Today should provide practical, easy-to-read information that will assist GPs in their day-to-day practice. We encourage the provision of additional advice specific to rural and remote practitioners. Patient information should be provided whenever possible, to assist GPs in counselling patients and their relatives. Patient handouts and other items of interest are available under open access to members of the public.
Authorship
The views expressed in the journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Medicine Today. The majority of our authors are invited to contribute to the journal and are selected based on their reputation among peers and qualification to express authoritative opinions.
Review process
All manuscripts undergo single-blind peer review. Feedback from at least two specialists in the field and one GP (representing our readership) is sent to the authors, who may be required to revise the text or respond to specific comments before their article is accepted for publication.
Competing interests
To avoid bias, or the perception of it, we do not accept articles sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, public relations firms or other commercial entities. Authors with a significant financial interest in a company (or its competitor) that makes a product discussed in the manuscript are also unacceptable.
On acceptance of an article for publication, all authors are required to complete and submit the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. A competing interest statement is included at the end of each published article.
Ethics and patient consent
Authors should follow the guidelines in the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), especially in regard to ethical considerations. Authors should omit any identifying information about patients unless it is essential for scientific purposes and they have obtained the patient’s written informed consent.
Medications
Generic names should be used to describe medications used in treatment. Any recommendations made for the use of medications ‘off label’ should be clearly indicated as such in the text.
Language
We encourage the use of plain English and avoidance of jargon and abbreviations if possible.
Referencing
Although extensive referencing is not generally required, specific studies, data and controversial statements should be referenced. Medicine Today follows the Vancouver system of referencing, adopted by most medical journals.
Transfer of copyright
Once an article has been accepted for publication, authors are required to complete a form assigning copyright to Medicine Today Pty Ltd. Authors can still use their articles for professional and educational purposes (e.g. for handing out to colleagues or patients, or reproducing for teaching purposes) and to use the content to further develop their research.