International Journal of Clinical Skills – An exciting forum for clinical skills

There has been an explosion in the volume of medical information related to clinical skills, which are essential in our efforts to maintain optimal patient care. The International Journal of Clinical Skills (IJOCS) aims to disseminate this knowledge in an easily accessible form. This will not only enhance our attempts to provide a quality health service, possibly with some standardisation, but also provide a vehicle for teaching and learning, hence the Journal’s motto – ‘docendo ac discendo’ (by teaching and by learning).

The IJOCS will not only serve as an avenue for publication of research papers, but will also act as a means of communication between clinical skills professionals at an international level. Consequently, those involved in the clinical skills field, can keep those in other countries informed of their activities, as well as offering best practice guidance.

Alongside this valuable publication, a continually evolving online database (‘Clinical Skills Lab’) will become available for students and teachers to access – this will hold

extensive information on over 200 clinical skills. The Clinical Skills Lab will be regularly updated by all those involved in this field and provide a platform for discussion and debate.

The IJOCS also aims to present comment on items of specialist interest. For example, the Launch Issue contains a paper by Professor Harold Ellis CBE, on ‘Medico-legal consequences in surgery due to inadequate training in anatomy’, and explores the potential niche for anatomical clinical skills training within the newly developed medical Foundation Years (F1 & F2). It is hoped readers will make use of the Journal to comment on matters such as this – and on others relating to the subject of clinical skills – by means of ‘Letters to the Editor’, research based evidence and shared practice.

In order for IJOCS to become an exciting forum for clinical skills, the Journal welcomes submission of innovative research, papers, reviews and case reports. Of course, submissions are not only limited to these specific publication types and your innovative ideas would be greatly welcome by the Editor. I am confident that IJOCS will be appreciated by a variety of health care professionals, at an international level. It promises to be representative of an ever expanding field, and with the support of all those able to contribute, it will, without doubt become increasingly influential.

I wish those responsible for the production of the International Journal of Clinical Skills, the success which their initiative deserves.