A picture is worth a thousand words…
The editorial team of European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care is aiming to take this classic quote literally (although we can only offer 500 words), with the announcement of a new feature for the Journal: ‘SPOT the DIAGNOSIS’. In this new section beginning in September 2021, authors are invited to publish an educational image on acute cardiovascular care, which will serve as the journal's front page, accompanied by a short description published inside. Priority is granted to images that either provide a classic educational message or have a truly unique appearance. Although the nature of the image may vary from a clinical sign, emergency care situation, monitoring interface, electrocardiogram, or medical imaging result, only topics of interest to cardiac or intensive care are considered.
As it is a specific mission of the Journal to get in touch and interact directly with its readership, SPOT the DIAGNOSIS will be more than just a publication. Authors submitting for this feature need to incorporate a multiple-choice question with four possible answers in their text and explain what would be considered the right answer. The question should evidently relate to the clinical image in its broadest sense. It could be a diagnostic dilemma, choice between investigations, therapeutic decision, or even a related epidemiology or pathophysiology question. Simultaneously with publication in the Journal, the question is advertised on the website, sent together with the table of contents to subscribers, and posted under the format of a poll on Twitter through the official @ESC_Journals account. One of the Associate Editors will engage in the forthcoming discussion, together with a Junior Editor. This is a truly unique opportunity for all to interact directly with the Editorial Board and prominent members within the Acute Cardiovascular Care association.
To allow the necessary time for an in-depth discussion with as many stakeholders possible, the correct answer will only be revealed after one week on the website and is ultimately published in the next issue of the journal. The website will contain a link to all previous SPOT the DIAGNOSIS cases, in this way creating a permanent database of online quizzes. Finally, the Editorial Board will communicate the correct answer also via the Twitter thread. Authors are encouraged to actively engage in discussions to get optimal visibility of their work.
This is a chance for authors and the Journal to carry their message globally and provide a strong link between research and the bedside. We realize that many of our readers are busy clinicians who may struggle to find time to write original research articles, but may nevertheless have important insights and expertise that they want to share with our community. The Journal is also their journal, and SPOT the DIAGNOSIS is their opportunity to steal.
The 21st century is hitting cruising speed and this has important implications for medical journals such as ours. The time of just print paper in your mailbox has long gone, and journals have evolved into multi-modality vehicles to disseminate knowledge and create network opportunities. Your editorial board has the ambition to lead the way in this new era and create an end product that affectionally belongs to everybody within the Acute Cardiovascular Care family. We sincerely hope that You will enjoy SPOT the DIAGNOSIS, participate actively in this feature as an author, discussant, or just reader. In the meanwhile, we remain focused on our mission to create high-quality, global Journal contents that may continue to help You in obtaining crucial knowledge to uplift Your clinical practice and research work. Keep following us and stay tuned!
The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the Editors of the European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care or of the European Society of Cardiology.