To our readers: Changes at American Medical News

To our readers:

Starting with our next printed edition -- which will have a cover date of March 16 -- American Medical News will move to a print frequency of 24 issues a year. In concert with this change, we have greatly expanded our Web site -- link -- to provide fresh news and useful information every weekday, 52 weeks a year.

This note to you is to offer some perspective on why we here at American Medical News believe that these are the right changes, at the right time, and for the right reasons.

We leave behind the 48-times-yearly print frequency that represents the publishing sensibilities of the time, more than 50 years ago, when the newspaper was founded. We are turning to a presentation that is more in sync with the needs of today's physicians and the best way to continue to deliver useful news and information about the profession.

American Medical News is well-known for its print edition -- indeed, we are among the best-read print publications in American medicine. But we also have produced a Web edition -- link -- for more than 10 years. This effort is not as well-known because, up until now, many of our readers have not had easy access to our content.

It is clear that physicians increasingly are turning to online sources for information, so we have rebalanced the way we deliver the news. As a result, you will get greater choice and more convenient access.

Newsprint-loyal readers can continue to receive the familiar tabloid-sized American Medical News that has been a practice fixture for many years. Online readers will find every word from the printed edition -- a full three years of our archives are now registration-free -- as well as plenty of fresh Web-only content. AMA members and paid subscribers will have full access to both new content and our entire archives. E-mail alerts and RSS feeds will keep you up to date wherever you are.

In whatever form, the core of this publication will remain award-winning, physician-oriented reporting and analysis. In fact, our coverage will be even better. Throughout American Medical News, in print and on the Web, you will find a greater emphasis on making the connection between the news we cover and the practical impact it has on you and your practice. We'll be here to provide useful guidance and solutions to the challenges you face in these rapidly changing times.

For more than half a century, American Medical News has been privileged to serve American physicians. As the medical profession has evolved, this publication has changed along with it. The goal has always been to better serve you. These changes may be our biggest yet, but we think you'll find they make us more timely and useful than ever.

Benjamin Mindell
Editor, American Medical News
amednews.com