To widen its appeal to the entire veterinary practice team, the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association (JAAHA), an online, peer-reviewed, scientific publication, will feature a new “Technician Article” section beginning in a fall 2005 issue. Fifteen technicians with various areas of specialty have been selected as editorial review board members and will review submissions.

“I think the important thing is that it’s not a separate publication,” said Kellie Paige, CVT, VTS (ECC), editorial review board member. “It’s more of a team effort. [It reflects the fact that] technicians are viewed more as part of the veterinary team.”

Rhea Morgan, DVM, DACVIM, DACVO, JAAHA editor, concurred and said that promoting a team approach was one of the motivating factors behind the new section. This is an attempt to make the JAAHA a valuable tool for other practice team members weve not reached before.

Morgan hopes that this move will prompt authors to mine medical databases for research papers. For example, information may provide background information on the side effects or reactions to intravenous catheters, the technician’s role in pain management or the incidence and causes of nosocomial infections, Morgan explained. Original studies, retrospective studies and review papers authored by veterinarians, technicians and other paraprofessionals will be accepted for review.

Adding a technician section to the online journal is believed to be an industry first, and was described by Morgan as a reflection of the increasing sophistication and specialization of the profession, and “the need to address issues in veterinary nursing from a scientific rather than anecdotal perspective,” she added.