Dear Authors & Readers,
As the new editor, I am writing this editorial to talk about the envisioned directions for the journal and to encourage you to submit papers to Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics. Please also join me in welcoming the new Associate Editors – Dr. Lynne Richard, OT, PhD and Dr. Rubens A. da Silva Jr., PT, PhD.
Geriatric rehabilitation is moving more and more towards evidence-based practice. The field will further advance by demonstrating, through rigorous research (e.g., properly powered randomized controlled trials - RCTs), that our treatments and interventions work. Our research will continue to provide evidence of our contributions to older adults’ independence and quality of life. At the same time, we need to identify assessments and treatments that do not work and stop using them.
I believe we can and will play a larger role in health promotion and disease prevention to help older adults maintain quality of life, health, and capacity to participate in home and community-based activities. For example, we are well placed to prevent and treat/reverse conditions such as aging-related functional decline, frailty and falls. Because the burden of these conditions is too high for the health care system, additional preventative measures are required. We (PTs and OTs) are well positioned to lead these efforts and demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of interventions to prevent them.
I have revised the aims and scope of the journal to reflect the additional emphasis on prevention of health conditions such as functional decline, mobility disability, frailly, falls and injuries. I have also expanded the scope to include technological advances in our field such as exergames, virtual-reality, wearables and sensors among others because technologies are emerging that screen for risk, monitor safety, and detect occurrences. Many of these advances are in the forms of sensors that can be worn or stationed around the home. Wearables outfitted with accelerometers and gyroscopes can identify falls based on sudden movements and changes in trajectory. Wearables can also be used to detect risk factors such as hand tremors associated with low blood sugar and frailty in addition to Parkinson’s disease. Telehealth and smartphone capabilities can be useful to provide counseling or assistance for treatment adherence and physical activity. Telehealth can be used to assess the situation when an injury occurs, and wearables and sensors can contact authorities, emergency medical personnel, and loved ones automatically.
Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics is the perfect vehicle for disseminating research testing treatments and prevention efforts in geriatrics. To enhance the visibility and attractiveness of the journal, we intend to pursue an application for the journal to be included in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and be indexed by the Web of Science, and then be considered for an Impact Factor (IF). With higher visibility and increased IF the journal can become a leading publication in the area of geriatric rehabilitation and prevention of aging-related conditions such as sarcopenia and mobility disability.
You, authors and readers, are crucial for the success of the journal. I really value your participation and help in promoting the journal among peers and encouraging students and colleagues to submit papers to the journal. Feel free to contact me with any questions you have about potential submissions to the journal.
I look forward to talking to you and to receive your submissions.
Editor-in-Chief, Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA; Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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