Drs. Amresh Hanchate and Deepak Palakshappa have officially stepped into their roles as the new Editors-in-Chief of the journal Medical Care. The leadership transition marks a shift in the journal’s direction as it addresses an increasingly complex healthcare landscape defined by system transformation, technological integration, and a persistent focus on health equity.
The appointment of Hanchate and Palakshappa follows the tenure of outgoing editors Jeroan Allison and Caterina Kiefe. The new leadership team intends to maintain the journal’s rigorous standards while expanding its reach into emerging areas of inquiry, including implementation science and the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare delivery. Their vision emphasizes a commitment to making the peer-review and publishing process more transparent and accessible, particularly for early-career investigators.
Shaping the Future of Health Services Research
The new Editors-in-Chief bring distinct disciplinary perspectives to their roles, which they argue are essential for the interdisciplinary nature of modern health services research. Dr. Amresh Hanchate, whose background is rooted in development economics, views the field through a lens of structural and multilevel influences. His previous work on large-scale, interdisciplinary studies in the UK and India highlighted the importance of collaborative, team-based science in generating policy-relevant evidence. According to Hanchate, this background informs his approach to the journal’s mission: advancing research that provides actionable evidence on the organization, financing, and delivery of care, with a specific focus on the needs of socioeconomically vulnerable populations.
Dr. Deepak Palakshappa, a practicing primary care physician, approaches the role from the perspective of clinical delivery. His research has historically focused on the challenges faced by low-income and vulnerable patient populations. He notes that his experience witnessing the direct link between social needs—such as food and medication affordability—and health outcomes drives his interest in academic publishing. For Palakshappa, the journal serves as a vital tool for identifying the most effective care models to address these systemic patient challenges. By combining Hanchate’s economic framework with Palakshappa’s clinical experience, the pair aims to bridge the gap between high-level policy analysis and real-world clinical application.
Building on a Legacy of Equity and Rigor
The journal has long maintained a reputation for publishing seminal studies on patient-reported outcomes, risk adjustment, and administrative data analysis. The new editors have expressed a commitment to building upon this foundation, particularly regarding the journal’s established focus on health equity. Hanchate specifically highlighted the work of outgoing editors Allison and Kiefe, noting that sustaining and deepening the focus on addressing health inequities remains a primary objective. The journal will continue to prioritize research that is both methodologically rigorous and socially impactful.
In addition to traditional topics, the leadership team is looking to elevate scholarship in several rapidly evolving areas. These include:
- Implementation Science: Utilizing frameworks that help translate research evidence into actual clinical practice.
- Digital Innovation: Evaluating the impact of artificial intelligence and other digital tools on healthcare quality and access.
- Comparative Studies: Examining international care models to identify lessons applicable to the U.S. healthcare system.
- Social Needs Interventions: Researching how healthcare systems can effectively address non-clinical drivers of health.
Engaging Early-Career Researchers and Readers
A significant portion of the incoming editors’ strategy involves demystifying the publishing process for early-career researchers. Both Hanchate and Palakshappa described academic journals as often feeling like a “black box” that can be intimidating for those new to the field. To counteract this, they are planning several initiatives to make Medical Care a more supportive intellectual home:
The editorial team intends to establish a new Associate Editor role specifically reserved for early- and mid-career researchers. This position is designed to provide hands-on experience in peer review and editorial decision-making, offering a pathway for younger scholars to engage directly with the journal’s operations. Furthermore, the editors plan to increase the journal’s visibility through social media engagement, including LinkedIn and X, to spotlight research and foster dialogue between authors and the broader community. These efforts are expected to complement the journal’s existing partnership with the APHA Medical Care Section, creating more opportunities for the publication of brief articles and policy commentaries.
As the U.S. healthcare system continues to undergo rapid transformation driven by policy shifts and rising costs, Hanchate and Palakshappa aim to position the journal as an authoritative source of scientific evidence. Their ultimate goal is for Medical Care to serve as a resource that not only documents the evolution of the healthcare system but also provides the data-driven insights necessary to actively support its improvement. Readers and researchers can expect to see these new initiatives rolled out as the editors begin their tenure, with ongoing updates likely to be featured on The Medical Care Blog.