History of the Journal

After 40 years of uninterrupted publication of the magazine O Mundo da Saúde, portraying its history means going back to its origin, its content, and its purposes throughout its trajectory. Below, we briefly present some points related to the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge by the journal over this period, in addition to a brief quantitative assessment of its reality.

Based on one of the commitments of the Camillian ideals, which advocates valuing life and health, the pioneering mentors of O Mundo da Saúde courageously made their dreams come true. Father Hubert Lepargneur, in an editorial dated March 1977, when its first edition was published containing 34 pages, stated: “this journal aims to publish original works in the field of health”. Further on, it explained that the magazine's target audience was “all people and entities linked in one way or another to the world of health, for professional reasons in particular, but also for human interest: humanist doctors and surgeons, psychiatrists and psychologists, nurses [...]; but also those entrusted with pastoral care in one sector or another, in churches that follow the modern development of the world and are concerned with the salvation of the person as a whole. The informative part [...] will make this magazine a unique instrument in the hands of administrators of hospitals and nursing homes”.

Since then, significant changes have been made in relation to the production and management of O Mundo da Saúde, also a result of being in tune with movements and trends in history. Throughout this period, four major production phases can be identified, which represent moments of clear evolution for the magazine.

The first phase has an informative-commercial characteristic, covering the years 1977-1985. In terms of content, original articles in the field of health were published with a strong tendency for publications in the hospital field, especially Hospital Administration and Pastoral Health. Articles from the areas of Nutrition, Nursing, and Bioethics were also published.

The second phase (1986-1989) has a technical-informative characteristic. From 1986 onwards, the title of the journal was changed to Hospital-Administração e Saúde (Hospital-Administration and Health). During this period, the predominant focus was on Hospital Administration. At the same time, there had been a growth in publications in the areas of Nutrition, Nursing, Public Health, Bioethics, and, sporadically, Speech Therapy starting in 1988.

The third phase (1990-1994) is the technical-scientific period. The institutional Editorial Board was formed, composed of professionals from São Camilo, specifically from the Healthcare Services Administration course and guest researchers.

The fourth phase is the scientific period, which began in 1995, when the publication resumed its original title O Mundo da Saúde. The title change is based on the view that this journal is focused not only on aspects related to health and hospitals, but also on broader issues, thus, representing a space for the dissemination of themes and research relevant to the field of health from a multidisciplinary perspective. Therefore, the magazine expanded its scope, increasingly including the participation of other areas, such as: Bioethics, Health Education, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Gerontology, Healthcare Informatics, Environmental Health, Public Health, Occupational Therapy, Technology in Medical Radiology, in addition to Hospital Administration, Nutrition, and Nursing.

In 1998, the journal was indexed in the LILACS database (Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences) and now includes a Scientific Editor, a specialist who organizes and monitors each edition with greater scientific rigor.

O Mundo da Saúde makes it possible, as a vehicle for relevant scientific articles, to update and deepen knowledge in different areas, stimulating debate on broad issues related to health, in addition to encouraging professionals and institutions to improve the quality and management of services. It also aims to contribute to the technical-scientific and ethical training of healthcare professionals, representing a space for the exchange and dissemination of studies and significant research in the area, by publishing articles by renown researchers, as well as stimulating and respecting the diversity of views around a given theme.

The members of its Editorial Board are researchers from various teaching and research institutions in Brazil and abroad. The process of critical analysis of articles for publication is carried out through systematic peer review, cherished in journals with the greatest international credibility.

Until the April/June 2003 edition, the journal presented its articles according to the parameters of the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). As of the July/September 2003 edition, it adopted the Vancouver norms, supported by international scientific literature produced in the field of health. Since 2006, an online version has been available on the Centro Universitário São Camilo website.

In 2014, the magazine started using the DOI® - Digital Object Identifier (translated as “Digital Object Identifier”). This is a system that allows for the unique identification, location, and description of digital entities – physical or abstract. Currently, the DOI has been widely adopted on the Internet, mainly due to the need for standardization and preservation of information contained in this environment. This fact has facilitated access to publications, bringing greater visibility to published studies.

In 2016, O Mundo da Saúde started to be published only in its electronic format. This decision was the result of lengthy discussions on recent technological trends – which the magazine has been following – as well as on environmental and practical issues. Likewise, the decision was driven by the preservation of the open access model, in which the main objective is to expand the dissemination of knowledge and offer more opportunities to intellectuals from developing countries. However, the quality of the editorial policy remains a priority, sustaining the peer-review processes and ensuring that the studies meet the standards of quality and scientific validity in the publication.

Currently, the magazine enjoys both operational sustainability (evidenced by its editorial output) and financial sustainability, guaranteed by the institutional support it receives and the responsible management of its resources. It should be noted that all progress is the result of the collaboration of many. Therefore, the pioneers stand out, who in the 1970s dared to create this magazine; the authors; the Editorial Board; the Editors, who share their knowledge and wisdom in scientific production; in addition to other collaborators, such as the technical team: translators, designers, proofreaders, graphics team.

The acknowledgments extend to all those who made the existence of this scientific journal possible and still make it possible. These professionals are convinced supporters of the scope of values according to which scientific knowledge must be transformed into wisdom, to help people live in a more dignified and healthy way.