In 2013, Maney Publishing, which at the time was JCIH’s publisher, asked me why I wanted to be Editor-in-Chief. I told them that I was intrigued by the opportunity to work alongside the Journal’s editorial board members, reviewers, and authors to help shape the field of health communication by advancing debates on current health and social issues; helping professionals across sectors become aware of the role of communication in promoting behavioral, social, and policy change; and encouraging excellence in both research and practice. I also wanted to make sure that we explored the cross-disciplinary nature of health communication and looked at relevant topics through the lenses of the intersecting fields of healthcare, public health/global health, and community and international development. Most importantly, I aspired to transform the Journal into a ‘community’ where our readers could find and/or share information, knowledge and support to foster innovation within their own organizations, as well as to strengthen their own ability to walk on the ever shifting sands of health communication research and practice. For the past four years, I have had the honor of trying to implement such a vision, which has been further refined by the many contributions of Taylor & Francis, our editorial board, expert reviewers, authors, and senior editorial assistant.
It is with very mixed feelings that I am announcing that I recently moved on. In fact, in August, I left my position as Editor-in-Chief to pursue new opportunities that hopefully will allow me to expand my own impact within and beyond the field of health communication, and assumed the position of Editor Emerita at JCIH.
As part of my professional transitions – another way to walk on shifting sands – I went through many changes but perhaps leaving my Editor-in-Chief position at the Journal of Communication in Healthcare: Strategies, Media, and Engagement in Global Health was the most difficult among them. I love the Journal and I am very proud of what we have accomplished together.
In fact, since I had the privilege of taking the helm of JCIH, the number of submissions we receive has increased by 140% – with 2017 data showing that this year the Journal will continue to grow/has already grown. Our current acceptance rate is reflective of a Journal that has become increasingly visible among readers and authors. We have built a connected and engaged editorial board of prominent leaders from 12+ countries and a group of 300+ expert reviewers. Our online readership has increased by 89% (measured in number of downloads) and many of the articles we published have been featured over the years by important global networks and resources such as the Communication Initiative and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Health Communication Science Digest. We have established issue- or event-specific partnerships with leading organizations, such as the American Public Health Association (APHA) PHEHP Health Communication Working Group (HCWG) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and stirred debates on many controversial topics, not only by featuring innovative peer-reviewed articles but also by giving voice to our editorial board, other leading experts, and our readers via our Commentaries, Interview, and Letters series. In addition to the British Nursing Index and Cabell’s Business Directory, our original indexing services, JCIH is now included in CABI, EBCO Products, Scopus (the largest abstract database in the world), and the Technical Info Centre of Denmark. We also found the time to expand ‘beyond publications’ and to organize educational webinars and meet-the editor-sessions, which are other areas of future growth for the Journal. All of this would not have been possible without the hard work and support of many people.
Over the years, the Journal has become a strong voice in advocating for the increasing role of communication in clinical, community, population, and global health settings. Our special issues and themed sections have touched on a variety of health and medical issues but yet only scratched the surface of the multitude of topics and issues health communication can help advance.
But perhaps what I am most proud of is the support I received from everyone involved. I am honored to count several members of our editorial board and expert reviewers group among my close professional friends. I was able to rely – always – on the support and partnership of a wonderful senior editorial assistant, Radhika Ramesh. I admire the strong commitment to excellence and research integrity our authors always displayed and appreciate their trust in our decisions. I established a strong and mutually respectful relationship with Taylor & Francis (T&F) which, among others, was sealed by the complexity of navigating the uncertain waters of our transition from the previous publisher – which led to embedding the Journal of Communication in Healthcare in T&F Allied and Public Health portfolio. Thank you all! It takes a village to run a journal and you all formed the most amazing kind of ‘village’ to make this happen.
The future of the Journal of Communication in Healthcare: Strategies, Media, and Engagement in Global Health is strong. I have been working with the publisher to identify potential successors and know there are some excellent candidates, so a new Editor will be announced soon. I have no doubts that the Journal will be in good hands!
So, my parting wish (if I am entitled to one) is that we continue to be committed to walk on the shifting sands of the field of health communication. Together – whether at JCIH or beyond – we can continue to shape this important field via our commitment to approaches that are grounded within the needs and preferences of the communities and patients we seek to serve. Together, we can make sure that future generation of professionals continue to be inspired by equity and social justice and spread the seeds of participation and inclusion everywhere they go. I know I will continue to work on this no matter where I am.
Finally, I want to thank you all, our readers, for your readership and patronage over the years. Please remember that this is not a goodbye … I hope to stay connected through my role as Editor Emerita and JCIH editorial board member. I am also sure our paths will cross again through other endeavors. Thank you!
In this issue
The articles in this issue exemplify the variety of topics and themes on which JCIH has been engaging. First, please let me acknowledge the special section we publish in partnership with the APHA Health Communication Working Group (HCWG). The Letters in this section provide our readers with valuable perspectives and strategies by HCWG members on the role of communication and its media in promoting understanding of violence as a public health issue, or communicating risk about tobacco use.
Special thanks to Prof. Robert Bonk, an esteemed member of our editorial board, for sharing his perspective on the Social contract for open access of healthcare information as part of his insightful commentary.
Papers in this issue provide information on health communication research, interventions, and/or theoretical approaches on different topics such as obesity prevention among adolescents, message and media for employee health campaigns, maternal health, decision-making about antibiotic use, and the use of virtual communities for community-based participatory research, among others. They also feature experiences from multiple countries including Bangladesh, the United Kingdom and the United States. We hope you find them useful and share them with colleagues.
Finally, please stay tuned for JCIH special December issue on the role of communication in advancing mental health outcomes. Thank you!