The first month is the traditional time for making changes. If you happen to work out at a gym throughout the year, you know the drill. For the next six weeks, you’ll be waiting in line for that recumbent bike or treadmill. Aerobic classes will be packed, and there will be nary a bench available when it comes time to do those military presses. Health clubs see their numbers soar in the wake of the all-powerful New Year’s resolution phenomenon. Here at CLP, we’ve made a few of our own resolutions for 2000. Since this January shares the dubious distinction of kicking off an entire millennium, we thought it prime time to add few editorial enhancements.
Page 28 begins the first of eight disease management sections scheduled for this year. Our debut January disease management section looks at diabetes patient management and technology. Our goal is to educate laboratorians and other diagnosticians on how to better care for diabetic patients from a disease management perspective. Toward that end, we have interviewed some notable clinicians and reported on several new developments.
Staff writer Melissa Mac spent time talking with the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists President, Richard A. Dickey, M.D., about ways laboratorians can educate patients and clinicians about new and under-utilized tests for diabetics. We also report on a new system that allows diabetics to download glucose meter readings via the Internet to their clinicians, who then access the information via a secure Web site. Also on the cutting edge is a new home test for hemoglobin A1C that just came on the market (page 30).
In upcoming issues you will see similar disease management sections on other important healthcare topics. For example, in February we’ll be covering men’s health, in March the focus is the heart, in April we’ll take on critical care and May looks at women’s health. In June and July we’ll be plenty busy covering two of the largest lab conferences — AACC and CLMA — so no disease management topics will appear. We finish up the year with geriatrics in August, communicable diseases in September and oncology in October.
I hope that the new People page we’ve added to our news section will help you keep up with the comings and goings of your colleagues. Be sure to send us your promotion and relocation news along with a high quality, four-color slide or photograph when you make a career move. As always, product news and photos are gladly received.
Finally, there’s me. Welcome to my first official issue as editor of CLP. The masthead readers among you may recognize my name. For the past three months, I’ve been toiling behind the scenes as editor-at-large. My experience includes writing and editing for numerous magazines and newspapers. In addition, I was the editor of Healthcare Technology Management and a laboratory technology assessment specialist at Premier, the hospital alliance based in Charlotte, N.C.
Reader feedback is my New Year’s resolution for CLP. We will be instituting a reader advisory board this year, and I’m looking for feedback on any changes made or wished for over the past two years. So whether your missive is naughty or nice, please send it via e-mail, phone or fax to [email protected] or 401-455-0555 x226 or 401-455-1555.
Happy new millennium!
Coleen Curran
Editor
