Throughout its 15-year history, Family Practice Management has embodied many qualities, but one in particular stands out: the ability to manage change. FPM has been the go-to resource for family physicians and other health care professionals looking for help to change their practices, improve the quality of the care they deliver and cope with the challenges they encounter. As the only medical journal devoted completely to practice management and practice improvement, FPM has developed a large and loyal following among readers and a well-deserved reputation for solid, practical information.

Change coming to FPM

Times change, practices change, and FPM is changing too. Beginning in November, FPM will be available as a digital journal. That means that by clicking on the link e-mailed to you by FPM, you will be able to open and read the journal online. The pages will look exactly like the printed pages – all the articles, the illustrations and the ads. But in addition to reading through the issue, you'll be able to search it, call up the table of contents from any page, and jump immediately to articles that capture your attention, with the flip of a digital page. You'll be able to copy an article with a click of the mouse. The digital format is growing rapidly among professional journals, and once again FPM is taking the lead.

The journal will also be available in its online format at https://www.aafp.org/fpm, where 10 years of articles are archived and fully searchable. Members of the Academy will be able to take the FPM CME quiz online there and have their credit immediately captured in their AAFP CME record. In coming months, FPM will introduce several new Web site features that will allow readers to interact more personally with the journal and with each other. Stay tuned.

What about the print version of FPM?

The print journal isn't going away, but starting in November, readers will need to pay to have it sent to them. For U.S. members of the AAFP, the cost of a print subscription is only $30 for a year (six issues). While most people prefer “free” to “paid” for things they receive, the economics that made this possible for FPM for so many years have changed.

The Academy has undergone its share of changes too, and it recently met the challenge of reducing its annual expenses by more than $9.5 million. Like every other organization, the AAFP needs to manage its costs as closely as possible and in the process find new and innovative ways of providing products and services to its members. That is why the AAFP Board of Directors approved this new distribution model with great anticipation.

One thing that doesn't change, whatever the medium, is FPM's commitment to excellence. At a time when the transformation of medical practice is more important than ever, FPM will continue to be the trusted guide it has always been, as part of the AAFP's continued commitment to helping its members deliver the highest quality of care to their patients.