The dissemination and consumption of medical literature is evolving

Traditionally, new scientific data would be presented at specialist congresses, subsequently published in a peer-reviewed journal and finally referenced in guidelines (if deemed practicing changing). As with many things, this has been shaken up in the last decade.¹ Not only is there now a LOT more medical literature,²,³ but there are more opportunities to see and discuss that data at various points along the publishing journey. This is apparent at both ends of the spectrum.

We’ve discussed before how it is now common for a paper to be posted on a preprint server ahead of being published in a peer-reviewed journal or presented at a congress.⁴,⁵ While at the other end of the spectrum, a surge in social media and platforms that connect the medical community mean the discussion and analysis continue long after a paper is published or presented. This is great, it’s democratizing information and encouraging people to share their insights and experiences. It’s also pretty overwhelming. In the past you could get away with following a few key journals but now there are too many different sources, formats and voices.

With all this in mind, we have been working hard to ensure you can access research in all its different forms through Read by QxMD. One place to access everything you need, but filtered and focused according to your interests, your preferences and your habits.

Since April this year we have been indexing preprints from Research Square, MedRxiv and Biorxiv. As a pilot, we initially did this for just Cardiology, Neurology, Endocrinology and Oncology. So far 1,761 people have viewed 5,864 preprints through Read by QxMD and some of our wonderful contributors have created collections showcasing the best of the best for their specialty. In 2023 we are considering rolling this out into other specialties but we need to know if you think it’s a useful addition and would like to see them for your specialty!

Things may be evolving but for the majority, congresses are still the place to go for cutting edge information. This is the case for researchers looking to disseminate their work — with 81% using academic conferences for this purpose. It’s also the case for those looking for info on the latest research — with 63% indicating a preference for conferences.

We are working with our partners MedscapeLIVE! to index abstracts for their conferences. We’ve done this for 8 conferences this year, events like the Neurology Exchange, The Annual T-Cell Lymphoma Forum, Psychiatry Winter Update and we will be doing even more in 2023. Again, in time, we hope to roll this out beyond MedscapeLIVE! conferences.

We have a unique license to index all information from PubMed — as soon as it appears on PubMed it appears on QxMD. This is the core of what we provide and will remain so as being published in a peer-reviewed journal is still the gold standard for any new research. Reinforced by the fact that 96% of papers viewed on Read by QxMD in November were journal articles. Not only does Read suggest papers relevant for you and allow you to follow specific journals, as long as you connect to your institution you will have access to full text articles within the app, through your institution subscriptions.

You hopefully saw our recent article announcing our new partnership with 2MM — an award winning study summary service that provides physician-authored summaries of the latest, high-impact, clinical trials. We only launched these in October but we’re already seeing great numbers. In November alone, 10,160 study summaries were viewed on Read by QxMD!

In a year, QxMD has evolved to give you better access to research in all its forms. All from within the same app, with the same familiar user experience and most importantly, our algorithm is working harder than ever to understand your preferences and habits, and give you research focused and filtered for you. So even for the 40% of physicians who only have 15 minutes a day to read research,⁶ we can help you make the most of those 15 minutes.

You can get more information on QxMD Read here.  Or contact us directly to discuss here.

References

1. https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/fulltext/2018/03000/getting_the_word_out__new_approaches_for.4.aspx#:~:text=As%20noted%20previously%2C%20academic%20journals,which%20researchers%20disseminate%20their%20research
2. https://read.qxmd.com/read/35776372/revisiting-the-time-needed-to-provide-adult-primary-care
3. https://read.qxmd.com/read/34619981/keeping-up-with-the-medical-literature-why-how-and-when
4. https://read.qxmd.com/read/35031791/rise-of-the-preprint-how-rapid-data-sharing-during-covid-19-has-changed-science-forever
5. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/leap.1402
6. https://c8y.doxcdn.com/image/upload/Press%20Blog/Research%20Reports/Doximity-Physician-Learning-Report-2022.pdf