Editorial Mission
Family medicine operates at the intersection of clinical science, public health, social determinants, and health systems innovation. JFM curates evidence that speaks directly to frontline clinicians, researchers, educators, and policymakers who champion integrated, person-centered care from infancy through older adulthood. We prioritize manuscripts that demonstrate methodological rigor, implementation relevance, and clear benefit to diverse patient populations. Our scope encompasses prevention, chronic disease management, behavioral health integration, community partnerships, and health equity-always grounded in the realities of practice.
Tiered Scope Framework
To ensure clarity and focus, JFM organizes its scope into four tiers: Core, Secondary, Emerging, and Explicitly Out-of-Scope. This structure helps authors align their submissions with our strategic priorities and enables reviewers to evaluate fit efficiently.
Primary Focus Areas
These topics represent the heart of family medicine scholarship. Manuscripts addressing core areas receive priority review and are most likely to align with our readership's needs.
Primary Care Delivery
- Diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making
- Chronic disease management (diabetes, hypertension, COPD)
- Preventive care and health screening protocols
- Continuity of care models
- Patient-centered medical homes
- Practice-based research networks
Behavioral Health Integration
- Mental health screening and treatment in primary care
- Substance use prevention and harm reduction
- Collaborative care models
- Trauma-informed practice
- Perinatal and postpartum mental health
- Adolescent behavioral health
Life-Course Health
- Maternal and child health
- Adolescent medicine and transition care
- Adult preventive services
- Geriatric care coordination
- Palliative and end-of-life care
- Intergenerational health dynamics
Health Equity & Social Determinants
- Disparities in access and outcomes
- Food security and nutrition interventions
- Housing stability and health
- Transportation barriers
- Health literacy and patient education
- Cultural competency and humility
Community & Population Health
- Community health worker integration
- School-based health programs
- Rural and underserved populations
- Indigenous health sovereignty
- Migrant and refugee health
- Faith-based health partnerships
Quality Improvement & Implementation
- PDSA cycles and QI methodologies
- Practice transformation initiatives
- Implementation science frameworks
- Pragmatic trials in primary care
- Workflow optimization
- Patient safety and error reduction
Complementary Areas
These topics extend our core focus and are welcome when they demonstrate clear relevance to family medicine practice, education, or policy.
Digital Health & Informatics
- Telehealth adoption and evaluation
- Electronic health record optimization
- Clinical decision support systems
- Mobile health applications
- Wearable device integration
- Health information exchange
Health Systems & Policy
- Value-based payment models
- Primary care workforce development
- Scope of practice regulations
- Health insurance and coverage policy
- Interprofessional collaboration
- Health system redesign
Medical Education
- Family medicine residency training
- Competency-based education
- Simulation and skills training
- Preceptor development
- Curriculum innovation
- Continuing medical education
Specialized Clinical Topics
- Sports medicine in primary care
- Occupational health
- Travel medicine
- Dermatology in family practice
- Minor procedures and point-of-care testing
- Reproductive health services
Strategic Priorities
JFM actively solicits research in these evolving areas that address urgent challenges facing family medicine and primary care systems globally.
Climate & Planetary Health
- Climate-related illness burden
- Environmental health in primary care
- Heat vulnerability screening
- Air quality and respiratory health
- Sustainable healthcare practices
- Disaster preparedness and response
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
- AI-assisted diagnosis in primary care
- Predictive analytics for risk stratification
- Natural language processing for documentation
- Algorithmic bias and equity considerations
- Clinical validation of AI tools
- Ethical frameworks for AI adoption
Pandemic Preparedness
- Infectious disease surveillance
- Vaccine confidence and uptake
- Surge capacity planning
- Telehealth expansion during crises
- Mental health impacts of pandemics
- Community resilience building
Precision & Personalized Medicine
- Pharmacogenomics in primary care
- Risk prediction models
- Genomic counseling integration
- Tailored prevention strategies
- Biomarker-guided treatment
- Ethical considerations in genetic testing
Explicit Exclusions
To maintain focus and serve our readership effectively, JFM does not consider manuscripts in the following categories. These submissions will be desk-rejected without peer review.
- Highly specialized subspecialty research without clear primary care application (e.g., advanced surgical techniques, tertiary oncology protocols)
- Basic science or laboratory research lacking translational relevance to family medicine practice
- Pharmaceutical industry-sponsored trials without independent oversight or clear conflict-of-interest management
- Case reports of common presentations without novel diagnostic, therapeutic, or systems insights
- Opinion pieces or editorials not grounded in evidence or systematic analysis
- Research conducted without appropriate ethical approval or informed consent documentation
- Manuscripts focused exclusively on hospital-based or emergency medicine without primary care context
- Studies of interventions not feasible or relevant in primary care settings
- Duplicate or redundant publications of previously reported data
- Manuscripts that do not address health outcomes, practice improvement, or policy implications
Article Types & Priorities
JFM welcomes diverse manuscript formats that advance family medicine scholarship. Each type serves a distinct purpose and undergoes rigorous peer review tailored to its methodology and contribution.
Original Research
Empirical studies using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods to evaluate interventions, explore epidemiology, or test service delivery models. Must include structured abstract, transparent methods, and clear practice implications.
High PriorityImplementation Science
Studies applying implementation frameworks (RE-AIM, CFIR, PRISM) to evaluate adoption, fidelity, and sustainability of evidence-based practices in real-world primary care settings.
High PrioritySystematic & Scoping Reviews
Comprehensive syntheses following PRISMA guidelines that identify evidence gaps, inform practice guidelines, or map emerging research domains relevant to family medicine.
High PriorityQuality Improvement Reports
Structured accounts of QI initiatives using SQUIRE guidelines, documenting intervention design, implementation barriers, outcome measures, and lessons learned for replication.
Medium PriorityHealth Policy Analysis
Evidence-based examinations of legislation, payment reform, workforce policy, or regulatory changes affecting family medicine practice and patient access to care.
Medium PriorityEducational Innovation
Descriptions of novel curricula, competency frameworks, simulation programs, or assessment tools with evaluation data demonstrating impact on learner outcomes.
Medium PriorityCommunity-Engaged Research
Participatory studies co-designed with community partners, documenting engagement processes, power-sharing mechanisms, and community-defined outcomes.
High PriorityRapid Communications
Brief reports (1,500-2,500 words) of urgent findings from outbreak responses, policy shifts, or pilot studies requiring timely dissemination to inform practice.
Medium PriorityCase Reports with Translational Insight
Detailed accounts of rare presentations, diagnostic challenges, or novel management approaches that offer generalizable lessons for primary care practice. Must include literature review and practice recommendations.
Low PriorityMethodological Innovations
Papers introducing new measurement tools, analytic approaches, or research designs applicable to family medicine research, with validation data and reproducibility documentation.
Medium PriorityNarrative & Reflective Essays
Scholarly reflections on professional identity, ethical dilemmas, or patient experiences that illuminate the human dimensions of family medicine practice.
Low PriorityData Notes
Descriptions of novel datasets, registries, or surveillance systems with documentation enabling secondary analysis by other researchers.
Low PriorityEditorial Standards & Ethical Requirements
Ethical Approval
All human subjects research must include IRB approval documentation, informed consent processes, and adherence to Declaration of Helsinki principles. Studies involving vulnerable populations require additional safeguards.
Transparency & Reproducibility
Authors must provide sufficient methodological detail for replication, including sampling strategies, analytic code, measurement instruments, and intervention protocols. Data sharing via trusted repositories is strongly encouraged.
Conflict of Interest
All financial relationships, institutional affiliations, and potential conflicts must be disclosed. Industry-sponsored research requires independent oversight and data access agreements.
Authorship & Contribution
Authorship must follow ICMJE criteria. All authors must approve the final manuscript. Contributor roles should be specified using CRediT taxonomy.
Data Privacy
Patient data must be de-identified per HIPAA and GDPR standards. Case reports require explicit patient consent for publication. Institutional data use agreements must be documented.
Reporting Guidelines
Manuscripts must follow discipline-specific reporting standards: CONSORT for trials, STROBE for observational studies, COREQ for qualitative research, SQUIRE for QI, PRISMA for reviews.
Decision Framework & Review Criteria
JFM employs a rigorous peer review process guided by explicit criteria. Understanding these benchmarks helps authors strengthen submissions and anticipate reviewer expectations.
Manuscript Evaluation Criteria
Scope Alignment
Does the manuscript address a core, secondary, or emerging topic within family medicine? Is the research question relevant to primary care practice, education, or policy? Are practice implications clearly articulated?
Methodological Rigor
Are study design, sampling, data collection, and analysis appropriate for the research question? Are limitations acknowledged? Do results support conclusions? Is reproducibility documentation sufficient?
Originality & Contribution
Does the manuscript advance knowledge beyond existing literature? Are findings novel, or do they confirm/refute prior work in new contexts? Is the contribution significant enough to influence practice or policy?
Equity & Inclusion
Does the study consider health disparities, social determinants, or vulnerable populations? Are sampling and analysis strategies inclusive? Do authors address how findings may differentially impact diverse communities?
Implementation Feasibility
Can findings be translated into practice? Are barriers and facilitators to adoption discussed? Do authors provide actionable recommendations for clinicians, educators, or policymakers?
Ethical Compliance
Are ethical approvals documented? Is informed consent addressed? Are conflicts of interest disclosed? Does the study meet standards for data privacy and participant protection?
Performance Metrics & Commitments
Author Support & Resources
JFM provides comprehensive support to help authors navigate the submission and publication process. From language editing to data archiving guidance, we are committed to facilitating high-quality scholarship.
Submission Portal
Submit manuscripts via our streamlined online system, email, or Manuscript Zone. Track your submission status and receive automated updates at each review stage.
Submit ManuscriptAuthor Instructions
Comprehensive formatting guidelines covering structured abstracts, reference style, figure preparation, supplemental files, and ethical documentation requirements.
View GuidelinesLanguage Editing
Professional editing services through Riters to enhance clarity, grammar, and readability without altering scientific content. Discounted rates for JFM authors.
Access EditingData Archiving
Guidance on preparing datasets for public repositories, selecting appropriate licenses, and meeting FAIR principles for data sharing and reproducibility.
Data GuidelinesAPC Information
Transparent pricing, waiver criteria for low-income countries, student discounts, and institutional membership benefits. Payment plans available.
Review ChargesEditorial Policies
Detailed information on peer review processes, appeals, corrections, retractions, and ethical standards governing JFM publications.
Read PoliciesSpecial Issues
Explore active calls for thematic collections or propose your own special issue focused on emerging topics in family medicine.
View OpportunitiesMembership Benefits
Join the JFM community for APC discounts, mentorship opportunities, early access to calls for papers, and networking with global family medicine scholars.
Become a MemberInterdisciplinary Collaboration
Family medicine thrives through partnerships with allied health professions, public health systems, and community organizations. JFM actively seeks manuscripts that document interprofessional collaboration, cross-sector initiatives, and innovative care coordination models. We welcome research involving nursing, pharmacy, social work, mental health services, nutrition, dentistry, rehabilitation, education, and public policy. Studies should describe team structures, communication workflows, role delineation, and governance frameworks that enable effective collaboration. Manuscripts exploring co-location models, integrated behavioral health, community health worker integration, or school-based health partnerships align strongly with our mission to strengthen comprehensive primary care.
Global Reach & Indexing
JFM articles are discoverable through major academic databases and search engines, ensuring maximum visibility for your research. We are indexed in Google Scholar, WorldCat, Semantic Scholar, and other platforms. All articles receive Crossref DOIs, enabling persistent citation tracking and integration with reference management tools. Our open access model ensures unrestricted global access, supporting knowledge translation in resource-limited settings and accelerating evidence uptake worldwide.
Ready to Submit Your Research?
Join the global community of family medicine scholars advancing evidence-based practice, health equity, and patient-centered care. Review our author guidelines, confirm scope alignment, and submit your manuscript today.
Contact the Editorial Office
Have questions about scope alignment, submission requirements, or special issue proposals? Our editorial team is here to help. Contact us at [email protected] for personalized guidance and support throughout the publication process.
