Hrev_master


[Emergency Care Journal 2013; 9:e1] [page 1]

ECJ: a new journal for 
new challenges in emergency
medicine
Mario Cavazza
Emergency Department, 
S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital,
Bologna, Italy

It is well known how the scientific process is
intertwined with the increasing complexity of
different knowledge fields and the different
instruments needed. Needless to say, this
occurs in a time when available resources are
much more defined and somehow limited in
comparison with the past.
The medical field is one of the most compli-

cated in the scientific world, as it involves
some basic sciences: from chemistry through
physics, anatomy, physiology, to all clinical and
pharmacological disciplines, just to name a
few.
Among all medical sciences, emergency

medicine (EM) comprises several domains.
Thus, in order to be effective, EM has to pro-
vide physicians with some educational princi-
ples belonging to all known medical areas and,
maybe more than other specialties, it has to
enhance every aspect of the knowledge
process.
Emergency nurses and physicians are aware

that results can be obtained only if all non-
technical aspects – i.e. how and when deci-
sions are made – are taken into consideration,
besides mere technical knowledge of the clini-
cal process.

The information exchange between those
working in the field has to be non-stop, com-
pletely open, and focused on the actual applica-
tion of all the improvements made in all med-
ical fields. Emergency doctors are the final
appliers of this knowledge.
This is the mission that brought to life the

Academy of Emergency Medicine and Care
(AcEMC) – an open group of experts including
emergency physicians, specialists from all
medical fields, and some professionals from
non-medical but fundamental areas contribut-
ing to emergency culture. In this perspective,
communication and education experts, sociol-
ogists, psychologists, healthcare building engi-
neers, and technology, computer and safety
experts are part of AcEMC. 
AcEMC is an open space based on multidis-

ciplinary thinking – an academy, as ancient
greek would name it. Multidisciplinarity is the
Academy hallmark and a feature which makes
it quite different from individual scientific
societies.
AcEMC needed a way to confront and

express itself publicly. This has been done by
means of a magazine – the Emergency Care
Journal (ECJ) – which can be read by all the
people involved in emergency care.
Emergency Care Journal was founded seven

years ago by Ivo Casagranda who, together
with some other professionals, has successful-
ly run this project so far. With PAGEPress as
the new Publisher, ECJ has taken a further
step in the direction of widening its reader-
ship. This is accomplished through a specific
program.
First, the paper version of the magazine has

been dropped. This kind of publishing is noto-

riously expensive and can limit access to the
contents, which, instead, must be granted to
the largest number of emergency professionals
possible.
Second, the journal’s contents are now avail-

able for free, thus providing unrestricted
access through the Open Access model.
Indeed, only a wider and larger circulation of
ideas can effectively improve the emergency
care system.
Third, English language has been chosen as

the only language used in contributions as it is
acknowledged as the global language. 
Finally, the peer-review system adopted

guarantees a high-quality scientific level, as is
convenient to ECJ.

Emergency Care Journal; volume 9:e1

Correspondence: Mario Cavazza, Emergency
Department, S.Orsola-Malpighi University
Hospital, via Pietro Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna,
Italy.
Tel. +39.051.636.2111 - Fax: +39.051.636.1202
E-mail: mario.cavazza@aosp.bo.it

Key words: emergency medicine, AcEMC,
Emergency Care Journal, multidisciplinarity.

Received for publication: 7 May 2013.
Accepted for publication: 7 May 2013.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 License (by-nc 3.0).

©Copyright M. Cavazza, 2013
Licensee PAGEPress, Italy
Emergency Care Journal 2013; 9:e1
doi:10.4081/ecj.2013.e1

Non
-co

mmerc
ial

 us
e o

nly