Your service, our gratitude: A thank you to our peer reviewers

Abstract

The peer review process remains a cornerstone of maintaining the integrity of published research and informs editorial decisions regarding manuscript disposition. Each manuscript receives rigorous evaluation by expert reviewers, who contribute insights on its novelty, originality, scientific validity, and potential impact. These reviewers also offer valuable suggestions for manuscript improvement. This structured review process provides authors with constructive feedback, fosters a sense of community, and facilitates the publication of advancements in research and patient care.

To augment our in-depth editorial assessment, we aim to have at least two independent peer reviews for each manuscript being considered for publication. However, over the past 3 years, we have had increasing difficulty securing reviewers. The average number of invitations we send to receive two quality reviews has increased from four in 2021 to eight this past year. As clinicians and researchers who regularly perform peer reviews for other journals, we understand the challenge of balancing this service with other obligations.

On behalf of the entire journal editorial leadership team, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our peer reviewers. Your reviews significantly enhance our authors' work and we deeply appreciate the time and effort you dedicate to the Journal of Hospital Medicine community. Your support is essential to our ability to publish such exceptional content.

We would like to highlight some changes we've made to improve our process and your experience as reviewers for the Journal of Hospital Medicine. We have reduced the demand on our reviewing community. The Editor-in-Chief or other editorial leadership team members assess each manuscript submitted to the journal. This initial screening process has allowed us to only send about 25% of research manuscripts for external peer review. To show our appreciation, our “Journal of Hospital Medicine Top Reviewer” list recognizes the top 10% of reviewers, a designation awarded based on the combination of the number, quality, and turnaround time of reviews. We encourage recipients to list this honor on their curriculum vitae and share the recognition with their program, division, and department leadership. These contributions should also be highlighted in promotion letters as important service to the field and national acknowledgment of expertise. We also offer continuing medical education credit for peer review, underscoring its value in professional development. As always, we welcome your feedback on our peer review process.

We are committed to building capacity for peer review in hospital medicine. In 2018, we established the Journal of Hospital Medicine Editorial Fellowship, a year-long mentored experience that helps early career hospitalists develop essential academic skills in peer review, academic writing, and scientific communication.^{1, 2} To date, this program has trained 36 hospital medicine physicians across the United States. Additionally, the journal proudly supports and encourages experienced reviewers to mentor fellows or junior faculty in reviewing. Prior permission for mentored reviews is not necessary. We ask mentors to let us know who assisted with the peer review. This communication allows us to thank all who participated in the review for their service to the journal and contribution to the field.

We believe peer review is integral to sustaining our community and advancing knowledge in our field. Both are essential in allowing clinicians to provide the best care possible to patients and their families. To all our peer reviewers, we sincerely appreciate your efforts. To those interested in becoming a peer reviewer, we welcome your expertise, experience, and insights. Please email us at [email protected] with “I want to become a peer reviewer” in the subject line and we will help you join the Journal of Hospital Medicine community.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.