JAMA

JAMA
source
Title	JAMA
Discipline	Medicine
Publisher	American Medical Association
Country	United States
History	1883–present
Frequency	Weekly

JAMA is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association. It is one of the longest-running and most widely cited general medical journals, covering clinical research, health policy, medical ethics, and public health. The journal has published influential clinical trials, systematic reviews, and policy discussions that have shaped practice in hospitals, academic centers, and governmental agencies.

History

Founded in 1883, the journal emerged from professional debates among physicians in the United States during the late 19th century. Early editors navigated controversies similar to those surrounding the establishment of the American Medical Association and the formation of contemporary organizations such as the American College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians. Over the 20th century, editorial leadership intersected with landmark moments in medicine: the era of antisepsis associated with Joseph Lister, the development of vaccines linked to figures like Edward Jenner and later Maurice Hilleman, and the rise of randomized controlled trials exemplified by studies in the period following the World War II medical research expansion. Institutional shifts mirrored changes at major universities and hospitals, including ties to researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, and Massachusetts General Hospital.

The journal’s pages have reflected debates connected to public institutions such as the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Editorial decisions have often paralleled landmark legal and policy events, including litigation around pharmaceuticals similar in profile to cases before the Supreme Court of the United States and regulatory reforms akin to the passage of significant statutes debated in the United States Congress.

Scope and Content

The journal publishes original research, reviews, clinical guidelines, opinion pieces, and educational material. Research articles have ranged from randomized trials conducted in settings like Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic to large epidemiological cohorts associated with centers such as Framingham Heart Study and collaborations with agencies like the National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organization. Reviews and meta-analyses draw on methodologies refined in programs at institutions such as Cochrane Collaboration-affiliated groups and academic departments at Harvard Medical School, Stanford University School of Medicine, and University of California, San Francisco.

The journal also addresses ethical questions explored by scholars from institutions like Georgetown University’s bioethics programs and policy debates involving stakeholders including the Kaiser Family Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and international partners such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Coverage includes clinical topics spanning cardiology, oncology, infectious diseases, neurology, and psychiatry, with research involving investigators associated with centers such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Salk Institute, and National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.

Editorial Process and Peer Review

Manuscripts undergo initial triage by in-house editors, with external peer review conducted by clinicians and scientists affiliated with universities and hospitals including Yale School of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and international centers such as University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. The peer-review process mirrors practices established in journals like The Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine, employing statistical review and conflict-of-interest disclosures modeled after standards advocated by organizations such as the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and Committee on Publication Ethics.

Editorial governance involves an editorial board composed of clinicians, methodologists, and ethicists drawn from institutions such as Imperial College London, Karolinska Institutet, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Decisions on acceptance weigh factors similar to those used by panels within professional societies such as the American Heart Association and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Policies on data sharing, transparency, and trial registration align with requirements promoted by bodies like the World Health Organization and funders such as the National Institutes of Health.

Impact and Reception

The journal’s articles have been highly cited in clinical guidelines issued by organizations like the American College of Cardiology and influenced policy deliberations in agencies such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Landmark reports have informed recommendations by advisory groups like the United States Preventive Services Task Force and shaped discourse in international fora including the World Health Assembly. The journal’s editorial commentary has been referenced in mainstream outlets and academic discussions involving institutions such as The Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations, and The New England Journal of Medicine.

Reception has included praise for rigorous trials and systematic reviews, alongside scrutiny from investigators, regulators, and advocacy organizations such as Public Citizen and Health Affairs commentators. Citation metrics place the journal among leading medical periodicals that include The Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine, and its influence extends to clinical practice, academic promotion, and healthcare policy.

Notable Publications and Controversies

The journal has published influential randomized controlled trials and observational studies that impacted treatment in cardiology, oncology, infectious disease, and obstetrics, with authors affiliated with institutions like University of California, San Francisco and Massachusetts General Hospital. High-profile editorials and investigations have provoked debate similar to controversies seen in cases involving Vioxx litigation, vaccine safety debates involving manufacturers and agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, and transparency disputes reminiscent of incidents at other major journals.

Controversies have included debates over conflict-of-interest disclosures, methodological critiques from statisticians at universities like University of Michigan and University of Washington, and editorial decisions questioned by professional groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics. Responses to public health crises covered in the journal have sometimes generated discussion involving global health actors including Doctors Without Borders and United Nations agencies.

Category:Medical journals