Getting Published in an Academic-Community Hospital: The Success of Writing Groups

Expressed barriers to writing for publication include lack of time, competing demands, anxiety about writing and a lack of knowledge about the submission process. These limitations can be magnified for practitioners in non-university environments in which there are fewer incentives or expectations regarding academic publication productivity. However, as members of professional disciplines, practitioners have both the responsibility and, oftentimes, the insights to make valuable contributions to the professional literature. Collaborative writing groups can be a useful intervention to overcome barriers, provide the necessary skills and encouragement as well as produce publications and conference presentations that make worthy additions to the professional body of knowledge. This article discusses the evolution and outcomes of writing groups at Lehigh Valley Health Network and describes how this strategy can be adopted by other academic community hospitals to promote professional development and publication.     

Personalized Therapeutics: A Potential Threat to Health Equity

Throughout history, medical advances have been adopted first and preferentially by the well educated and economically advantaged groups. The development of personalized therapeutics holds promise to fundamentally alter the practice of clinical medicine, but if it also is used preferentially by economically advantaged groups, this advance will likely worsen socioeconomic disparities in health. Prospective development of strategies to ensure non- differential access to these therapies may help limit this unintended consequence of medical progress for economically disadvantaged groups.     

Provision of Contraceptive Services to Women with Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND  

Women with diabetes mellitus who delay pregnancy until glycemic control is achieved experience lower rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes.