The world of medical publishing is changing as today's demanding health care environment challenges physicians to keep current with clinical advancements.

"Physicians are so busy in their practices, they no longer have time to read the numerous medical journals that cross their desk," said MMS Vice President of Publishing Chris Lynch.

Instead, many doctors look to the Internet to access medical research. This trend -- combined with dipping pharmaceutical advertising -- has led the MMS Publishing Division to develop new strategies, services and products to respond to these shifts in the marketplace and broaden its reach to health care providers worldwide.

Expanding Reach
Globally, the MMS Publishing Division has 62 newsletter sponsorships with distribution of over 150,000 copies. Most sponsorships come from outside the United States. Because sponsorships, including online sponsorships, are growing in popularity -- with 21 new sponsorships in the last year -- international business partners are more important than ever. Since 1999, the Publishing Division has almost doubled the number of our international partners, with 20 partners worldwide today.

To support this global business development, the MMS recently introduced Briefings from the New England Journal of Medicine, a monthly compilation of each issue's "This Week in the Journal" and "Perspective" sections. This new offering has boosted pharmaceutical sponsorship, putting NEJM content into the hands of an additional 10,000 physicians in Canada, South Africa and India.

Changing With the Times
In January 2004, after more than a year of research and planning, NEJM will launch an academic/clinical site-license program. This improvement will help physicians and librarians at institutions internationally and domestically by providing immediate, anywhere access to the Journal's content.

As the popularity of online products and services grows, the publishing division has also grown its Web-based offerings in order to expand its global reach. To address the needs of physicians worldwide, NEJM has introduced online continuing medical education (CME) courses. These distance-learning opportunities help physicians stay apprised of research developments while fulfilling educational requirements in a convenient, flexible and cost-effective format.

- Jennifer Peabody