The chief objective of Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging is to provide high-quality educational and informational articles to physicians, nurses, and other geriatrics health care professionals. The editors look for succinct, evidence-based articles on topics relevant to long-term care. Manuscripts should emphasize a geriatrics perspective and an approach applicable in the long-term care setting.

Submission

Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging does not accept manuscripts whose content previously has been published elsewhere, in print or online.

On the title page, list all authors, indicating the title and affiliation for each person, and provide an e-mail address, mailing address, and phone/fax numbers for the corresponding author and an alternate correspondent, if possible. Please repeat the title of the article on the first page of the text with the abstract.

• An abstract of 100-175 words should be included. It should be factual, not descriptive, outlining the main points of the paper.

• Figures, tables, and photographs are encouraged and should accompany the manuscript when first submitted. Tables should be included at the end of the manuscript in the main document, excluding any use of table formatting features. Charts, graphs, photos, and other figures that are supplemental to the main document should be submitted as separate digital files in JPEG, TIFF, or EPS formats, or as printed copies of the originals (slides cannot be accepted). All graphics should be numbered in proper sequence and should include legends.

• Full references should be provided in AMA style, as shown below. References should be annotated in the text and numbered at the end of the article in the order in which they appear. Try not to exceed 35 references per manuscript. Example:

1. Smith J, Jones A, Doe J, et al. The treatment of depression in a long-term care setting. Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging 2004;10(1):22-26.

(Note: Please do not use the endnote feature that links in-text references to the list at the end. Simply type the reference numbers as superscripts in the text, and type the list at the end of the document.)

• Generic names should be used to refer to medications.

• Full financial disclosure and any information regarding conflict of interest must be addressed in a cover letter at the time of manuscript submission for the manuscript to enter the peer-review process.

• Written permission to reproduce material that appeared in another publication must be included at the time of submission. Fees are the responsibility of the author.

• Copies of any previously published tables or figures used by authors to adapt the tables or figures in their manuscript should be included at the time of submission.

Categories

Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging does not publish original research papers.

The Journal accepts for consideration the following types of manuscripts:

Case Reports. These reports have instructional value, such as revealing successful interventions in managing uncommon syndromes or cautioning against a poor outcome of management of treatment. They should be approximately 500-1000 words in length.

Clinical Experience. Clinical experience reports should address the use of assessment and/or intervention methods in the long-term care setting (home, assisted living, nursing facilities) that have the potential to improve quality of care or quality of life. These reports describe an innovative clinical strategy that is preliminary but that may be of clinical interest. The manuscript should contain a short introduction and rationale, and should summarize the results and provide evidence-based recommendations from published literature. The reports are limited to 1000-1500 words of text with 1 or 2 tables and/or figures, in addition to a brief abstract.

Editorials. Editorials may include short articles expressing the opinion of a qualified and experienced individual on a certain highly pertinent or controversial issue in long-term care. Editorials may also be invited commentary on a specific topic to accompany a particular article in the Journal.

Ethics Articles. Papers focusing on ethical issues and dilemmas that caregivers, patients, and their families may face in long-term care fall into this category. Manuscripts should not exceed 3000 words in length.

Letters. Letters to the Editor are encouraged to be brief, about 250-750 words. Those referring to an article published earlier in the Journal should be submitted within three months of the article’s publication. Other letters may serve to express a viewpoint on a relevant topic or event in long-term care or to comment on matters of general interest to health care professionals.

Perspectives. The authors of these articles share their personal perspectives or experiences regarding an aspect of long-term care. Manuscripts should not exceed 1500 words in length, excluding references.

Reviews. Review articles provide a thorough, critical, up-to-date overview of existing literature on a clinical topic relevant to the care of older patients. These manuscripts should not exceed 2500 words in length, not including references, tables, or illustrations.

Special Articles. Special articles may address any topic of interest relevant to geriatrics or long-term care.

Review Process

All manuscripts submitted for publication in Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging are peer-reviewed by the Medical Editor and an external reviewer. The corresponding author is notified of the reviewers’ decision within approximately 8 weeks of submission; however, at certain times, delays are unavoidable. During the review process, the reviewer or editor often requests the authors to revise their manuscript. The final decision on acceptance for publication can be made only after the revised version of the manuscript has been reevaluated. Accepted manuscripts are edited according to AMA style and sent to the corresponding author for final approval prior to publication.

Please email manuscripts to mschulz@hmpcommunications.com