Annals of Internal Medicine

Annals of Internal Medicine
source
Title	Annals of Internal Medicine
Discipline	Internal medicine
Abbreviation	Ann. Intern. Med.
Publisher	American College of Physicians
Country	United States
History	1927–present
Frequency	Biweekly

Contents

Annals of Internal Medicine is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American College of Physicians that covers clinical research, reviews, guidelines, and commentary in internal medicine. The journal has played a central role in disseminating findings to clinicians affiliated with institutions such as Johns Hopkins Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Mayo Clinic, and Cleveland Clinic, and has been cited in guidance from bodies like the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institutes of Health. Its content has influenced policy decisions in contexts involving the United States Congress, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, and international organizations including the European Commission.

History

The journal was established during the interwar period, influenced by professional movements at universities such as Harvard University, Yale University, and Columbia University, and by societies including the American Medical Association and the Royal College of Physicians. Early editors and contributors published alongside figures connected to the Rockefeller Foundation, Carnegie Institution, and the Pew Charitable Trusts, shaping standards that were later adopted by institutions such as Stanford University School of Medicine and University of Pennsylvania Health System. Throughout the mid-20th century the journal reflected debates shaped by events like World War II, the Cold War, and initiatives such as the Marshall Plan that affected international scientific collaboration. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, interactions with agencies including the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, and networks like the Global Health Council influenced editorial directions.

The journal publishes original research from investigators at centers such as UCLA Health, University of California, San Francisco, Imperial College London, and Karolinska Institutet, systematic reviews associated with groups like the Cochrane Collaboration and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, clinical guidelines intersecting with recommendations from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, and policy analysis that has been referenced by The White House and ministries of health in countries such as Canada and United Kingdom. Topics span diseases and conditions studied at specialty centers including the National Cancer Institute, American Diabetes Association, and Alzheimer's Association, and methodology pieces drawing on work from groups like the CONSORT Group and the TRIP Database.

Editorial leadership has historically included prominent physicians and academicians with affiliations to Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, Cornell University, Duke University School of Medicine, and University of Michigan. The peer-review process involves reviewers recruited from networks including the Association of American Medical Colleges, specialty societies such as the American College of Cardiology, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and international academies like the Royal Society of Medicine. Editorial policies interact with standards promulgated by organizations such as the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, the Committee on Publication Ethics, and funding agencies including the Wellcome Trust and the Gates Foundation.

The journal is indexed in bibliographic databases and services including PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and regional indexes such as EMBASE and CINAHL. Its articles are discoverable via platforms affiliated with companies like Clarivate Analytics, Elsevier, and ProQuest, and are cataloged in national libraries including the Library of Congress and the British Library.

The journal's articles have been cited in influential reports from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, policy briefs used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and clinical guidance from the European Society of Cardiology and the American Thoracic Society. Landmark publications have informed trials conducted at sites such as Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and St. Thomas' Hospital, and have been discussed in major news outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and BBC News. The journal features in bibliometric analyses by institutions like Harvard Medical School and rankings maintained by Journal Citation Reports.

Published biweekly by the American College of Physicians, the journal operates a traditional subscription model alongside selective open-access options that parallel practices at publishers such as Wiley, Springer Nature, and Oxford University Press. It accepts submissions funded by agencies including the National Science Foundation and the European Research Council, and employs article processing arrangements similar to those used at PLOS and BMJ.

Notable publications have included randomized trials and meta-analyses that influenced recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force and debates over therapeutics discussed at meetings of the American Medical Association and the European Medicines Agency. Controversies have arisen regarding conflicts disclosed with pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and AstraZeneca, editorial decisions paralleled by disputes at journals like The Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine, and retractions that echoed cases involving investigators associated with Duke University and Wake Forest University. High-profile editorials have prompted responses from policymakers in the United States Senate and international health authorities including UNICEF.

Category:Medical journals