PCOM Launches Its First Academic Journal, Focusing on Integrated Primary Care

PHILADELPHIA, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With an emphasis on reaching the entire spectrum of allied health professionals working within primary care, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is launching its first peer-reviewed scientific journal, the Journal of Integrated Primary Care (JIPC).

Covering primary care, internal medicine, family medicine, nursing, behavioral health, pharmacy, physical therapy, pediatrics, health education, healthcare administration and social work, JIPC aims to grow the evidence base related to integrated primary care professional education, practice and intervention.

"This combined topic, primary care with integrated care, is rarely considered by scientific journals," said Jay S. Feldstein, DO '81, president and CEO of PCOM. "Yet, bringing these fields together is intrinsic to the holistic approach to health care we, as a college, emphasize in our teaching."

An open-access online journal, JIPC was spearheaded by editors-in-chief Robert A. DiTomasso, PhD, ABPP, dean of the School of Professional and Applied Psychology, and Michelle R. Lent, PhD, associate professor, and is designed to highlight the work of PCOM's integrated primary care researchers as well as researchers around the world. DiTomasso and Lent also envision the journal as an opportunity for student authorship and publication.

"Integrated treatment in primary care is patient-centered and can be both clinically and cost-effective," said Lent. "We hope that this new journal will spotlight the incredible advantages of integrated care and add to the growing evidence base in support of this approach."

JIPC accepts original research papers, reviews, meta-analyses, and case studies of interest to primary care professionals at graduate schools, academic medical centers, public health institutes, health systems, clinics, in private practice, and working at health-related community organizations. Journal content is intended to guide and inform the multidisciplinary clinical care of primary care patients. There are no fees for publishing articles selected for inclusion in the journal, following peer review.

DiTomasso and Lent say the launch of JIPC coincides with market factors—the expanding inclusion of allied health services within primary care, and the documented cost savings associated with integrating physical and behavioral health within primary care—that enable primary care providers to more effectively treat the "whole" patient.

The field of primary care is continuing to expand treatment services through the integration of a variety of healthcare professionals across disciplines, including physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, pharmacists, psychologists and behavioral health consultants, peer specialists, and social workers. Given the high patient volume and limited time availability of many primary care physicians, an integrated care approach allows for the consideration of essential social, behavioral and environmental educational domains that can impact both the physical and mental health of patients.

The targeted readership includes primary care practitioners and academicians from diverse disciplines, applied clinical researchers, health profession educators, and healthcare administrators. The first issue of JIPC will be published this fall and follow a quarterly schedule. Each issue is expected to contain four to five observational and experimental studies of integrated care treatment approaches and best practices related to collaborative delivery models. For more information, visit https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/jipc/.

About Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Founded in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a "whole person" approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy and school psychology, and graduate degrees in biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, mental health counseling, organizational development and leadership, physician assistant studies, school psychology, and public health management and administration. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.

SOURCE Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine