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Today’s world
is, in many ways, unimaginably different
from that of even 50 years ago. The dominant
driver for such change is a new knowledge,
and its translation into new ways of doing
things. The first online journal of family
medicine for the Middle East has started
despite all obstacles, as the idea behind
the journal is unique, and futuristic. From
its beginning, the specialty of family practice
has also distinguished itself as unique.
Family practice even earned itself the designation
of a "counterculture" specialty,
not surprising given the individualism and
rebelliousness of those who entered family
practice in the early years of the specialty.
The Middle East Journal
of Family Medicine (MEJFM) is a new peer-reviewed
journal to meet the needs of scientists,
practitioners, policymakers, and the patients
and communities they serve in the Middle-East.
It is born out of the growing need for the
exchange of ideas and research results in
the region. It will foster a knowledge base
for caring for individuals, families, societies
and communities. The Mission of the Journal
will be to promote family medicine in the
Middle East. The journal will publish original
clinical and educational research of interest
to primary care specialties, practicing
clinicians, residents and others involved
in primary care and community medicine education.
Faculty development and clinical research
and methods will be also featured in the
journal. It will include state of the art
review articles based on evidence based
medicine and teaching case reports. Reflections
from editorial members, clinicians and policy
makers will be included as well. Environmental
health and control of environmental hazards
will receive attention, in addition to the
effect of war on health.
The aim of the journal
will be to provide academically sound, clinically
practical information for family and general
physicians, in addition to the promotion
of the specialty of family medicine in the
Middle East Region.
The Journal will
be published twice in the first year. The
frequency will be once every three months
in the second year, followed by once every
two months from the third year onward. The
Middle East Journal of Family Medicine web
site (http://www.mejfm.com) provides access
to the online journal and the daily news
for family doctors, the notice board, and
the MEJFM browser. The full-text online
journal is available free to all. This encourages
sharing new knowledge about primary care
and health systems in the Middle East. The
journal represents an unparalleled collaborative
effort by two departments of family medicine
in the region, community centers, Australian
Family Physician (Royal Australian College
of General Practitioners) and medi+World
International.
The editorial
and peer-review processes of the journal
have full editorial autonomy from both organizational
and commercial pressures. A prominent regional
and international Editorial Board facilitates
to direct the journal to achieve its mission
and foster regional, and international participation.
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