期刊名称：CIRCULATION-CARDIOVASCULAR QUALITY AND OUTCOMES ISSN： 1941-7705 出版频率： Monthly 出版社： LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, TWO COMMERCE SQ, 2001 MARKET ST, PHILADELPHIA, USA, PA, 19103   出版社网址： http://www.lww.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product__11851_-1_9012053_Prod-19417713_____PDP 期刊网址： http://circoutcomes.ahajournals.org/ 影响因子： 5.882 主题范畴： CARDIAC & CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS 变更情况： 期刊简介(About the journal)    投稿须知(Instructions to Authors)    编辑部信息(Editorial Board)    About the journal Editor(s): Harlan M Krumholz  MD, SM ISSN: 1941-7705. EISSN: 1941-7713. Impact Factor (2012): 5,658    About Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes Editor: Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM Senior Guest Editor: Karen Barry Managing Editor: Karen Barry Editorial Office Address: Circulation 560 Harrison Avenue Suite 502 Boston, MA 02118 circ@circulationjournal.org Frequency: Bi-Monthly Content:Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes publishes articles related to improving cardiovascular health and health care. The articles will include original research, reviews, and case studies relevant to clinical decision-making and health care policy. The contents will further the mission of promoting safe, effective, efficient, equitable, timely and patient-centered care. Through its articles and contributions, the journal will equip you with the knowledge you need to improve clinical care and population health, and allow you to engage in scholarly activities of consequence to the health of the public. Pages per year: 900 Review Process: Peer-review   Instructions to Authors Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes will include high-quality applied clinical, epidemiological, and health care policy papers related to cardiovascular diseases. The mission of the journal—like outcomes research itself—is to improve clinical care and health care delivery. The audience for this journal includes researchers, clinicians, policymakers, administrators, health plan executives and government agency professionals. The journal's purpose is to be a catalyst for outstanding science, to disseminate science and information that will enhance cardiovascular health and health care, to strengthen and expand the community of people committed to improving clinical care and population health, to inspire people to engage in scholarly activities of consequence. How to Contact the Journal How to Prepare a Manuscript How to Submit a Manuscript Revised Manuscripts Accepted Manuscripts Permissions and Rights Question and Answer for Authors How to Contact the Journal: Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM Editor, Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes 560 Harrison Avenue Suite 502 Boston MA 02118 Phone: 617-542-5100 Fax: 617-542-6539 E-mail: circ@circulationjournal.org [Top] How to Prepare a Manuscript: Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes publishes several types of manuscripts. A brief description of each type follows: Original Research Articles: The core of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes is scholarship that spans the entire spectrum of outcomes research. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, economic and health policy research, among others, will be welcome. To be competitive for publication, the research questions must be strong and consequential and the methods and writing should be outstanding. Cardiovascular Perspectives: The journal will also have frequent contributions that express opinions about various aspects of clinical decision-making and health care delivery, with an emphasis on challenging dogma and conventional wisdom—as well as pieces that propose solutions to the challenges of cost, quality and access. We will consider and encourage contributions that provide point-counterpoint on specific topics or challenge current ways of approaching issues in medicine. Data Reports: The journal will devote space to data reports, similar to the MMWR-type contribution. We will aim for rapid publication of relevant data that can be condensed to 1500 words and not more than one table and figure. Again, supplementary material can be posted online. E-Letters: After reading an article, readers will be able to "send a response" from a link in the content box. When submitting a response, all readers will be asked to his/her name, affiliation, email address, and comments. E-Letters will be reviewed by the editors, and we will decide whether or not the response should be published. Published e-letters will appear at the end of the articles to which they relate. This feature will be online-only and will always relate to papers published in the journal. Funding Opportunities/Reports: The journal will provide an opportunity to disseminate information from agencies and foundations regarding funding opportunities and information about recently funded studies relevant to this readership. Innovations of Care: Descriptions of novel initiatives to improve the processes of care and outcomes of cardiovascular patients may be best described as an article. These articles are designed as a vehicle for disseminating preliminary data surrounding the introduction and evaluation of novel clinical practices and should be organized as follows: Goals and Vision of the Program: This is a section that highlights the importance of the QI initiative that was undertaken. This section should address the following issues: What is the importance to patient outcomes? Does it resonate with national goals for elevating the quality of care and what data exists about current gaps in performance? Local Challenges in Implementation: In this section, we encourage authors to discuss the challenges in achieving the program's vision. What obstacles needed to be overcome? How were these challenges conceptualized and addressed? Design of the Initiative: In light of the challenges identified in the preceding section, how did the authors design an approach to achieve the goals of the program and to be responsive to the local challenges? Sufficient details should be provided, along with any conceptual models and the way in which they directly overcame local obstacles, so that others may be able to transfer this approach to their own clinical situation. Implementation of the Initiative: This section should address how the program was implemented and what was the success of the implementation? What was the adoption and were any barriers to its adoption observed? Success of the Initiative: How did the initiative impact the care and outcomes of patients in the clinical setting? Summary of the Experience, Future directions and challenges: Upon reflecting upon the challenge and the effort to implement productive change, were the results satisfactory and what future work is needed to better attain the original goals and vision for the program. How did this experience highlight new challenges and obstacles to be overcome? What future research is needed to further realize the initial vision? Methods Papers: The journal is seeking papers that describe the methods for registries, outcomes research studies, and appropriate applied clinical trials. We will make use of online appendices for supplementary material and may opt for online only publication with print page for a brief summary and links to the relevant material. We will also actively seek papers that address methodological innovation (e.g., development of new health status measures, assessment of performance measures, techniques for quantifying direct and indirect costs, new analytic approaches to integrate survival, health status and costs). The journal will be transdisciplinary in its orientation and will welcome contributions that bring into focus the methods of a wide range of fields as they apply to outcomes research. Policy Commentaries: The journal will seek to include content that provides insight about ongoing policy initiatives at the local and federal level. The journal will also provide a way to disseminate information about new initiatives, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI), new quality measures and payment strategies. Primer on Statistical Interpretation or Methods: These contributions will be brief and focus on mainstream techniques, including their strengths and limitations (e.g., hierarchical modeling, propensity analyses). Reviews: The journal will have a brief section with reviews for relevant recently published books, products, and online initiatives. General Preparation Instructions: Maximum Word Length: 7,000 words Word Count includes title page, abstract, text, references, tables, and figure legends Maximum Number of References: 50 Maximum Number of Figures and Figure Legends: 8 Manuscript should be typed double-spaced, including title page, abstract, text, references, figure legends, and tables. Text should only appear on one side of the page. Acceptable formats are Word or WordPerfect. Leave a 1-inch margin on all sides. Do not use justified margins. Cite references, figures, and tables in numeric order. For review, acceptable figure formats are GIF, TIFF, EPS, JPEG, and single slides of Power Point. Formats NOT supported are as follows: Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), Bitmap (.bmp), PICT (.pict), Excel (.xls), Photoshop (.psd), Canvas (.cnv), CorelDRAW (.cdr), and locked or encrypted PDFs. For publication, see acceptable figure requirements under "Accepted Manuscripts " below. Use SI units of measure. A more conventionally used measurement may follow in parentheses. Make all conversions before manuscript submission. Please provide sex-specific and/or racial/ethnic-specific data when appropriate, in describing the outcomes of epidemiologic analyses or clinical trials; or specifically state that no sex-based or racial/ethnic-based differences were present. Consult the American Medical Association Manual of Style, 10th ed, New York, Oxford University Press, 2007, for style. Manuscripts must conform to the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" http://www.icmje.org/. Assemble the manuscript in this order: Title Page, Abstract, Text, Acknowledgments, Funding Sources, Disclosures, References, Figure Legends, Tables, and Figures. Title Page The title page (page 1, do not number) should contain these elements: Full title First author's surname and short title (not to exceed 50 characters, including spaces) Authors' names, academic degrees, and affiliations Name and complete address for correspondence (include street name and address as well as post office box, and address for reprints if different from correspondence) Fax number, telephone number and email address The total word count of the manuscript, including the title page, abstract, text, references, tables and figures legends The Journal Subject Codes pertaining to the article. Please refer to the subject code list. Abstract and Key Words Do not cite references in the abstract Limit use of acronyms and abbreviations. Define at first use acronym or abbreviation in parenthesis. Be concise (250 words maximum) Use the following headings: Background - rationale for study Methods and Results - brief presentation of methods and presentation of significant results; please include sample size Conclusions - succinct statement of data interpretation When applicable, include a fourth heading: "Clinical Trial Registration". Please list the URL, as well as the Unique Identifier, for the publicly accessible website on which the trial is registered. Insert three to five Key Words after abstract. Please refer to the key word list. Text Typical main headings include Methods, Results, and Discussion Number pages Abbreviations must be defined at first mention Methods Please note that the print version of the Methods and Results should be able to stand alone and should provide sufficient information for the reader to understand the basic methods of the study and to review the fundamental findings in a mechanistic way. Experimental animals: State the species, strain, number used, and pertinent descriptive characteristics. When describing surgical procedures, identify the preanesthetic and anesthetic agents used and the amounts, concentrations, routes, and frequency of administration of each. Paralytic agents are not considered acceptable substitutes for anesthetics. For other invasive procedures on animals, report the analgesic or tranquilizing drug used. If none were used, provide justification for exclusion. Human studies: Indicate that the study was approved by an institutional review committee and that the subjects gave informed consent. Drugs and Devices: In the Methods, the complete name and location of the manufacturer must be supplied for all reagents, equipment, and devices used. In all other instances, the generic rather than trademark names of all drugs and devices. Independent Data Access and Analysis: The Editors consider it preferable for investigators to have direct access to the primary data in a clinical trial (raw and derived datasets) when reporting results of the trial. Alternatively, an independent party with an academic affiliation who has access to the primary data may serve as the analyst for the investigators. It is recognized that for logistical reasons these options may not be possible in all instances. At a minimum, the authors should have the ability to query any aspect of the data either directly or through an independent analysis. However, the Editors reserve the right to ask for additional information from the corresponding author regarding measures that were taken to minimize bias and verify the integrity of the primary data and any analyses performed. Guidelines for Clinical Trials In accordance with the Clinical Trial Registration Statement from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (Circulation. 2005;111:1337) and (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMe078110), all clinical trials in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology must be registered in a public trials registry at or before the onset of participant enrollment. This requirement applies to all clinical trials that began enrollment after July 1, 2005. Research is considered to be a clinical trial if it involves prospective assignment of human subjects to an intervention or comparison group to study the relation between a health-related intervention and a health outcome. Health-related interventions include any intervention used to modify a biomedical or health-related outcome (for example, drugs, surgical procedures, devices, behavioral treatments, dietary interventions, and process-of-care changes). Health outcomes include any biomedical or health-related measures obtained in patients or participants, including pharmacokinetic measures and adverse events. As previously, purely observational studies (those in which the assignment of the medical intervention is not at the discretion of the investigator) will not require registration. We will start to implement the expanded definition of clinically directive trials for all trials that began enrollment on or after July 1, 2008. Those who are uncertain whether their trial meets the expanded ICMJE definition should err on the side of registration if they wish to seek publication. The registry must be accessible to the public at no charge, searchable, open to all prospective registrants, and managed by a not-for-profit organization. The registry must include the following information: a unique identifying number, a statement of the intervention(s), study hypothesis, definition of primary and secondary outcome measurements, eligibility criteria, target number of subjects, funding source, contact information for the principal investigator, and key dates (registration date, start date, and completion date). The registry sponsored by the United States National Library of Medicine (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov) meets these requirements and is recommended by the editors. Other registries are acceptable if they meet these requirements. In addition to www.clinicaltrials.gov, the following registries are recommended by the ICMJE: http://isrctn.org http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index/htm/ http://www.anzctr.org.au/Default.aspx http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/index.asp In accordance with the ICMJE's recommendation, we will also accept registration of clinical trials in any of the primary registers that participate in the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trial Registry Platform. Primary registers are WHO selected registers managed by not-for-profit entities that will accept registrations for any interventional trials, delete duplicate entries from their own register, and provide data directly to the WHO. Please note that registration in any WHO partner registers is insufficient. The authors will be requested to provide the exact URL and unique identification number for the trial registration at the time of submission. Since this information will be published, we ask that you include a fourth heading in your abstract: "Clinical Trial Registration Information". Please list the URL, as well as the unique identifier, for the publicly accessible website on which the trial is registered in this section. Clinical trial reports should also comply with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) and include a flow diagram presenting the enrollment, intervention allocation, follow-up, and data analysis with number of subjects for each (http://www.consort-statement.org/?o=1011). Please also refer specifically to the CONSORT Checklist of items to include when reporting a randomized clinical trial. Results posted in the same clinical trials registry in which the primary registration resides will not be considered prior publication if they are presented in the form of a brief abstract (500 words or less) or a table. Guidelines for Meta-Analyses See "Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology: A Proposal for Reporting," JAMA. 2000; 283: 2008-2012. Guidelines for Studies on Diagnostic Tests See "The STARD Statement for Reporting Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy: Explanation and Elaboration," Ann Intern Med. 2003; 138: 40-44. Guidelines for Human Phenotype-Genotype Association or Linkage Studies Reporting issues: Report process for selecting genes and SNPs. Report Hardy-Weinberg statistics or p-values and method of calculating same. Refer to existing public domain websites for the Human Gene Ontology name and the rs number for SNPs: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/SNP/ and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Snp Describe genotyping methods. If numerous primers have been used, please include them in an online supplement. False positive and false negative concerns. Given well-described problems with both false positive and false negative associations, phenotype-genotype association studies should meet some or all of the criteria below: Phenotype is clearly defined, is heritable, and if a quantitative phenotype is reported, reproducibility data are provided. The sample size is adequate to detect a SNP or haplotype with a modest effect. For genotype-trait associations, provide an estimate of the effect size that could be detected with power 0.80 or higher with the allele frequency and sample size reported. Since multiple statistical testing methods are frequently used in genotyping-phenotyping studies, please include specifics of the primary model(s) tested. Nonessential secondary models may be published as electronic data supplements. Clinically relevant confounders should be included in multivariable models or residuals. Review criteria for human linkage studies. Manuscripts should include the following: Identifying plausible candidate genes under the linkage peak. Follow-up fine mapping to narrow the region of linkage, and/or genotyping some of the candidate genes under the linkage peak. Replication data from another sample. Guidelines for Genomic and Proteomic Studies Preparation of Data Submitted: Data should follow the MIAME checklist (for more information see http://www.mged.org/Workgroups/MIAME/miame_checklist.html). Accessibility of Data: Authors of papers that include genomic, proteomic, or other high-throughput data are required to make their data easily accessible for the reviewers and the editors during the review process. You may submit your data to the NCBI gene expression and hybridization array data repository (GEO, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/) and provide the GEO accession number; or, You may provide a link to a secure or publicly accessible website which hosts the data. Prior to publication, the data must be submitted and an accession number obtained. Access to the information in the database must be available at the time of publication. GEO has a web-based submission route, suitable for a small number of samples, or a batch submission tool (called SOFT). GEO is accessible from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/. The submission FAQ is available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/geo/info/faq.html. Guidelines for Proteins and Nucleic Acid Sequences Newly reported nucleotide or protein sequences must be deposited in GenBank or EMBL databases, and an accession number must be obtained. Access to the information in the database must be available at the time of publication. Authors are responsible for arranging release of data at the time of publication. The authors must also provide a statement in the manuscript that this sequence has been scanned against the database and all sequences with significant relatedness to the new sequence identified (and their accession numbers included in the text of the manuscript). GenBank GenBank Submissions National Center for Biotechnology Information 8600 Rockville Pike, Building 38A Room 8N-805 Bethesda, MD 20894 Tel: (301) 496-2475 On the web at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Genbank/index.html EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Submissions European Bioinformatics Institute Hinxton Hall Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK Tel.: 44-1223-494401; Fax: 44-1223-494472 e-mail: support@ebi.ac.uk On the web at: http://www.ebi.ac.uk DNA Data Bank of Japan Center for Information Biology National Institute of Genetics Mishima, Shizuoka, 411, Japan Tel.: 81-559-81-6853; Fax: 81-559-81-6849 On the web at: http://www.ddbj.nig.ac.jp Submission to any data bank is sufficient to ensure entry in all. Acknowledgments Authors should obtain written permission from all individuals who are listed in the "Acknowledgments" section of the manuscript, because readers may infer their endorsement of data and conclusions. The corresponding author must sign the Acknowledgment Section of the Copyright Transfer Agreement, certifying that (1) all persons who have made substantial contributions in the manuscript (eg, data collection, analysis, or writing or editing assistance), but who do not fulfill authorship criteria, are named with their specific contributions in the Acknowledgments section of the manuscript; (2) all persons named in the acknowledgments section have provided the corresponding author with written permission to be named in the manuscript; and (3) if an Acknowledgments section is not included, no other persons have made substantial contributions to this manuscript. Funding Sources All sources of support for the research should be listed under this heading. All grant funding agency abbreviations should be completely spelled out, with the exception of the NIH. Disclosures All potential conflicts of interest must be stated within the text of the manuscript, under this heading. This pertains to relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or other corporations whose products or services are related to the subject matter of the article. Such relationships include, but are not limited to, employment by an industrial concern, ownership of stock, membership on a standing advisory council or committee, being on the board of directors, or being publicly associated with the company or its products. Other areas of real or perceived conflict of interest could include receiving honoraria or consulting fees or receiving grants or funds from such corporations or individuals representing such corporations. Please state "None" if no conflicts exist. References Accuracy of reference data is the responsibility of the author Verify all references against original sources List all authors for each reference; do not use "et al. " Example reference: 1. Smith HJ, Allen S, Yu W, Fard S. This is the title. Circulation. 2004; 104:276-308. Please note that if you use reference software tools (e.g. EndNote or Reference Manager), they do not always match our style and you may need to manually correct your references.. Cite references in numeric order according to first mention in the text. In the text, ensure accuracy of spelling and details of publication, i.e., the text citation should match the reference information. Personal communications, unpublished observations, and submitted manuscripts are not legitimate references. They must be cited in the text only (not in the reference list) as follows: author name, degree(s) held, unpublished data, year. Abstracts may be cited only if they are the sole source and must be identified in the reference as "Abstract." References must be from a full length publication in a peer reviewed journal. "In press" citations must have been accepted for publication and the name of the journal or book publisher must be included. Figures Figure parts should be clearly labeled. Letters and locants must be uniform in size and style within each figure, and when possible, between figures. (The font size must be 10 point or higher.) Avoid headings on the figure. Heading information should appear in the figure legend. Line art should not contain hair lines, which are hard to reproduce Supply a scale bar with photomicrographs Provide double-spaced copy for figure legends on a separate page Symbols and abbreviations must be defined in the figure or its legend Limit white space between the panel and panel label Figures should be sized as close as possible to their final print size. Please note that very few figures qualify for a 2-column format. Tables Begin each table on a separate page, double-spaced. Please remember that tables prepared with Excel are not accepted unless embedded within your text document. The table number should be Arabic, followed by a period and brief title Use same size type as in text Supply a brief heading for each column Indicate footnotes in this order: *, †, ‡, §, | |, #, * * Do not use vertical lines between columns. Use horizontal lines above and below the column headings and at the bottom of the table only. Use extra space to delineate sections within the table. Abbreviations used in the table must be defined in a footnote to the table. Online Data Supplements Online Data Supplements are encouraged as an enhancement to the print Methods section. This optional section provides an opportunity to present supporting materials to the manuscript. Please note that all supplements undergo peer review and must be submitted with the original submission of the manuscript. Online Data Supplements can consist of the following: Expanded Methods and Results Additional Figures Additional Tables Video Files If citations are made in an Online Data Supplement, the supplement must contain its own Reference Section, with references numbered sequentially beginning with the number 1. Please try to keep the individual file size to 10 MB or less to facilitate easier downloading for readers. Online Supplemental Data: A combined PDF of your supplemental data must be provided. The first page of this PDF should include the heading, "SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL." Please note that this single PDF would include all of the supplemental material related to your manuscript, except for the Video or Movie files. The supplemental material to be included in this PDF is as follows: Supplemental Methods, Supplemental Tables, Supplemental Figures and Figure Legends, and Supplemental References. Lastly, the legends for the Video files should also be included in this PDF. Please upload this PDF to your author area. Supplemental Materials Required for Review A copy of all submitted manuscripts mentioned in the article must be submitted as part of the review process A copy of all manuscripts, either in preparation or submitted, that potentially overlap with your Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology submission. Please note that failure to include such material is a violation of the journal's Ethical Policy, below. A copy of all in press articles cited in the Reference section must be supplied for review by the editors and the reviewers Ethical Policy Manuscripts are considered on the understanding that they contain original material, that the manuscript and material within the manuscript have not been published and are not being considered for publication elsewhere in whole or in part in any language, including publicly accessible web sites or e-print servers, except as an abstract. The authors also certify that any and all other work in preparation, submitted, in press, or published that is potentially overlapping either in the actual data presented or in the conceptual approach is enclosed along with the original submission. Any material within the manuscript that has appeared elsewhere must be cross-referenced and permission to use or adapt the material must be received, in writing from the copyright holder. Abstracts and Webcasts If some or all of the work in the manuscript has been published or submitted in abstract form, and/or overlapping data exists, the following rules apply: The published or submitted abstract must accompany the submitted manuscript. The abstract cannot itself have been referenced in MEDLINE or PubMed. The potentially overlapping work and a separate explanation of the nature of any possible overlap with the submitted manuscript must accompany the submitted manuscript. These restrictions generally do not apply to presentations or press reports published in connection with scientific meetings, or to poster presentations at scientific meetings that are videotaped, provided that the material has not been widely circulated, copyrighted or sold. Posting an audio recording, video recording, or short summary of a presentation made at a professional meeting on the Internet would be considered as a meeting presentation by the American Heart Association and would not compromise consideration of a submission. Direct release of information through press releases or media briefings may preclude publication. Embargo Policy All content information of an accepted paper is strictly confidential and cannot appear in the media (in print or electronic form) before its embargo date and time. Authors/researchers, their respective public relations representatives and funding sponsors may not distribute or promote their work to the media prior to embargo. In the event that the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association selects the manuscript for promotion in a news release, news conference, video news release or podcast, AHA/ASA staff will contact the author/researcher to inform him/her of the pending news materials and to notify him/her that he/she may give reporters pre-embargo interviews based upon the media requests generated by the AHA/ASA news materials. Authors/researchers must ensure that the reporter understands and will adhere to the embargo time. If an embargo break is the result of any action by an author/researcher, he/she risks withdrawal of publication of his/her manuscript. Violations of the embargo policy may also jeopardize future acceptance of manuscripts to be published in AHA/ASA scientific journals. Generally, embargoes on journal articles lift the day and the time the article is published, either on-line or in print (whichever comes first) by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Please note that the accepted version of all Original Research Articles are published ahead of print. They are not copyedited prior to online publication, and they appear as soon as possible after acceptance. Once the accepted manuscripts appear in the Publish-Ahead-of-Print area, they will be prepared for print and online publication, which includes copyediting, typesetting, proofreading, and author review. Neither the Editorial Office nor the AHA/ASA will be responsible for any consequences of early online posting with regard to the intellectual property rights. To safeguard their intellectual property, authors should ensure that appropriate reports of invention and patent applications have been filed before the manuscript is accepted. How to Submit a Manuscript: General Online Submission Information - All manuscripts must be submitted electronically. Before proceeding to the online submission site, please prepare your manuscript according to the instructions listed above under the heading, "How to Prepare a Manuscript." When your manuscript is ready for submission, please go to http://circ-submit.aha-journals.org/. The instructions below are meant to help guide you through the submission process. Submission Files: Manuscript text file Tables – either embedded within the manuscript or submitted separately. Please note that, for publication purposes, all tables must be provided in an editable text format. Excel or PDF files will not be accepted. Figures – either embedded or submitted separately. Please note that only PPT, EPS, or TIFF files will be allowed for publication. Supplemental Files: When submitting supplemental files, please note whether or not they are intended for review purposes only or if they are intended for publication as an online data supplement. For all revisions, invited de novo submissions, and uninvited resubmissions, please note that three additional files are required: Response to Reviewers Tracked Changes version of the manuscript Clinical Perspective Summary All Author Information, including First and Last Names Affiliations E-mail Addresses Submission Process The four steps of the submission process are: Files, Manuscript Information, Validate, and Submit. The four steps each contain sub-steps that can be accessed by clicking on their respective tabs. Navigating through this "Tab View" will save any entered information each time a new tab is clicked (or the boxes "Save and Continue" and "Next" are clicked). Each step and sub-step is listed below: Title and Running Title (you can cut and paste this from your manuscript).Please note that you will not be allowed to exceed a 50 character limit for the short title. Abstract (you can cut and paste this from your manuscript) – For Original Research articles only. Subject Codes, Key Words, and Categories (Original Articles only) – A minimum of 1 subject code and key word is required. Only 1 category may be selected; please note that, if accepted, your manuscript will be published under the category selected here. Clinical Trial Registration – All clinical trials should have been registered prior to patient enrollment. If your manuscript is considered a clinical trial but has not been registered, it will not be considered for publication in the journal. You will be asked to provide the URL and identification number for the trial registration. Files Upload Files: A screen asking for the actual file locations (via an open file dialog) will appear. After completing this screen, your files will be sent to be converted to PDF for the peer review process. Remove Files: Allows the user to remove previously uploaded files. Replace Files: Allows the user to replace any previously submitted files with another file. File Type: This tab prompts the user to choose the "file type" that corresponds to the upload document. The five basic types of files are Author Cover Letter, Manuscript File, Figure, Table, Supplemental Material. File Description: When uploading a file type labeled "Figure," "Table," or "Supplemental Material," it is required to give a brief description of the content that is included in the file. File Order: This tab allows the user to rearrange files to be displayed at the author's discretion. This tab also gives the option to merge PDF files into a single PDF file to display to the Editor and Reviewers. Upon completion, the user must check the checkbox indicating completion of the ordering and selection process. Manuscript Information Title, Cover Title, Abstract: It is required for the user to provide a Title for the manuscript as well as a ShortTitle and an Abstract. The Short Title and Abstract have word or character limits. Invited content does not have Abstracts. Authors: This tab prompts the user to submit General Information about the author. The fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required, and need to be completed to continue the submission process. Keywords & Subject Areas: A screen where the author provides the subject areas and key words for the manuscript. Detailed Information: This screen asks for more detailed information regarding the manuscript, including "Clinical Trial Registration." Additional Information: This screen asks the author to verify that the study complies with the AHA's ethical policies. Author Reviewer Suggestions: This screen allows the user to provide "suggested reviewers" to include for the review process. The author can also provide reviewers to exclude from the review process. Review Approve Files: This screen allows the user to verify that the manuscript has been uploaded and converted to the PDF format correctly. Approve Manuscript: This screen asks the author to correct, review and approve the information entered as part of the submission process. Submit This screen is the final step of the submission process. The system will check to make sure everything is completed before the manuscript is submitted. If the manuscript is ready for submission, then there will be text that reads: "Your manuscript is ready to be submitted. Click the link below to finalize your submission." Otherwise, it will ask that you modify your submission to fulfill all of the submission requirements. [Top] Revised Manuscripts: The journal is in the process of transitioning to a new peer review system. Please refer to your decision letter for instructions regarding the submission of your revision. Please remember that your manuscript text, including title page, abstract, references, figure legends, and tables, should not exceed 7,000 words. Manuscripts exceeding this limit will be returned to authors for further revision, prior to review. Word count is calculated by the Editorial Office using the Microsoft Word tool. Please label each page of your revision using your manuscript number followed by /R1, /R2, /R3, etc. In your written response to the reviewers' comments, give the exact page number(s), paragraphs(s) and line number(s) where each revision was made. Enter Conflict of Interest Disclosures. You will need to describe conflicts regarding this manuscript for all authors. Original manuscript files should be submitted electronically to the Editorial Office, so as not to delay publication if and when the paper is accepted. Compliance With NIH and Other Research Funding Agency Accessibility Requirements Several research funding agencies now require or request authors to submit the post-print (the article after peer review and acceptance but not the final published article) to a repository that is accessible online by all without charge. Within medical research, 3 funding agencies in particular have announced such policies: The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires authors to deposit post-prints of articles, which have received NIH funding, in its repository PubMed Central (PMC). This deposit should be done within the 12 months after publication of the final article in the journal. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) requires, as a condition of research grants, deposit in PMC, but within 6 months after publication of the final article. The Wellcome Trust requires, as a condition of research grants, deposit in UK PMC within 6 months after publication of the final article. As a service to authors, the Publisher (Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins) of the AHA journals will identify to PMC articles that require depositing. The Copyright Transfer Agreement provides the primary mechanism for identifying such articles. The AHA also requests that, during the submission process in Bench>Press, funding is indicated in the first page of the submission process. WKH/LWW will transmit the post-print of an article, which is based on research funded in whole or in part by 1 or more of these 3 agencies, to PMC. On NIH request, it remains the legal responsibility of the author(s) to confirm with the NIH the provenance of their manuscript for purposes of deposit. Author(s) will not deposit their articles themselves. Author(s) will not alter the post-print already transmitted to NIH. Author(s) will not authorize the display of the post-print prior to 12 months after publication of the final article, in the case of NIH, or 6 months after publication of the final article, in the case of HHMI and the Wellcome Trust. For more information on PMC, please visit http://nihms.nih.gov. A Permissions and Rights Question and Answer is also available; please visit http://www.ahajournals.org/site/rights/ . [Top] Accepted Manuscripts: The following are required for publication: Original source files for the manuscript text, tables and figures. For detailed information about submitting print publication-quality digital art, please visit http://art.cadmus.com/da/index.jsp. Only TIFF (tagged image file format), EPS (encapsulated postscript) and PPT (Microsoft PowerPoint) files are acceptable for publication. Color files must be saved as RGB (Red-Green-Blue not CMYK (Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black). Line art must be saved at resolution of at least 1200 dpi; photographs, CT scans, radiographs, etc, should be saved at a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Images saved at 72 dpi are not acceptable for printed publications. PowerPoint files can be acceptable, although PowerPoint is not a recommended application for image preparation. Color figures submitted as PowerPoint may experience a shift in hue. PowerPoint files must contain only supported s (Arial, Helvetica, Times Roman, and Symbol). If other s are used in the PowerPoint file or in EPS files embedded in a PowerPoint document, there is a significant chance of formatting errors or character substitutions. Images must be embedded in PowerPoint files, rather than "linked". Each panel of the figure should be saved in a separate file. Prior to publication, the Copyright Transfer Agreement form must be completed by each author. Written permissions from all persons acknowledged by name should be collected and retained by the corresponding author. Online Supplemental Data: A combined PDF of your supplemental data must be provided. The first page of this PDF should include the heading, "SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL." Please note that this single PDF would include all of the supplemental material related to your manuscript, except for the Video or Movie files. The supplemental material to be included in this PDF is as follows: Supplemental Methods, Supplemental Tables, Supplemental Figures and Figure Legends, and Supplemental References. Lastly, the legends for the Video files should also be included in this PDF. Please upload this PDF to your author area. Timely publication of a manuscript will depend upon all of the above. Cost to Authors Fee per printed black and white page: $70; Fee per printed color page: $465; Supplemental fee for exceeding the word limit: Authors of papers exceeding our 7,000 word limit will be charged for the overage. Minimum fee for papers exceeding this maximum will be $425. In addition, authors will be charged an additional $425 for each additional 1,000 words over 7,000. The usual $70 page charge will also apply. Word count will be calculated by the editorial office, using the Microsoft Word tool. Title page, abstract, references, tables and figures legends are included in the total word count. Reprint expenses: Price lists are sent with author's proofs. Excessive author alterations to typeset page: $50 per page. Correction (erratum): $100 per page if error results from an author's oversight. Permissions Requests for permission to reproduce figures, tables, or portions of articles originally published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes can be obtained via Rightslink (a service of the Copyright Clearance Center), not the Editorial Office. All permission requests are now processed via the Rightslink online system. Steps for obtaining permission include: On the Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes home page, either search for the article using the Search feature or locate a copy of the article in the online archives for which you are requesting permission. Next, select the Full Text or PDF version of the article. Then, locate the "Request Permissions" link in the menu on the right side of the Web page (under "Services"). A new Web browser will open, which is Rightslink. Follow the step-by-step instructions in Rightslink for requesting permission by: selecting the way the content will be used. creating an account, if one does not exist already. accepting the terms and conditions for reuse. determining method of payment. Further information can be found in the Permissions and Rights Instructions. Note: For AHA Scientific Statements and Guidelines, permission to reprint, modify, alter, enhance, copy, or distribute this content must be obtained from the American Heart Association. Instructions are located at http://my.americanheart.org/professional/StatementsGuidelines/PoliciesDevelopment/Correspondence/Copyrights-and-Reprints_UCM_320299_Article.jsp. A link to the "Permission Request Form" appears on the right side of the Web page, in the "Related Items" box. Conflict of Interest Policy for Editors Original manuscripts authored or coauthored by the Editor (in Chief), the Deputy Editor, Senior Associate Editor, or any of the Associate Editors are handled by a Consulting Editor, who makes all the decisions about the manuscript (including choice of referees and ultimate acceptance or rejection). The entire process is handled confidentially. All manuscripts submitted from the Editor's home institution are also handled entirely by a Consulting Editor. The Editor (in Chief) may additionally, from time to time, refer a manuscript to a Consulting Editor to avoid a real or reasonably perceived conflict of interest. AHA Conflict of Interest Policy Disclaimer Statements, opinions, and results of studies published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes are those of the authors and do not reflect the policy or position of the American Heart Association, and the American Heart Association provides no warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. Circulation Portfolio Submission and Peer Review Sites Please click here for more information or to submit a manuscript to one of the other Circulation journals. Editorial Board   Editor Harlan M. Krumholz Deputy Editor Associate Editors Senior Guest Editor Senior Advisor John A. Spertus Frederick A. Masoudi Peter W. Groeneveld Jerome P. Kassirer   Veronique L. Roger Dennis T. Ko     John S. Rumsfeld   International Advisor       Simon Stewart   Senior Statistical Associate Statistical Section Editors Consultant Consultants Behnood Bikdeli Julianna Lampropulos Sharon-Lise T. Normand M. Alan Brookhart RuiJun Chen Purav Mody   Yulei He Kumar Dharmarajan     Armando Teixeira-Pinto Vivek T. Kulkarni   Editorial Board Otavio Berwanger Karin H Humphries Ivan C. Rokos Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo Cynthia Jackevicius John J. Ryan William B. Borden Lixin Jiang Lee H. Schwamm Javed Butler Karen E. Joynt Nilay D. Shah Paul S. Chan Irene L. Katzan Kim G.E. Smolderen Nakela Cook Dennis T. Ko Vinod H. Thourani Leslie Curry Eldrin F. Lewis Henry H. Ting Lesley H. Curtis Marilyn Mann Mintu Turakhia Nicolas Danchin Darren K. McGuire Paul D. Varosy Patricia M. Davidson Aanand D. Naik Tracy Y. Wang Victoria Vaughan Dickson Brahmajee K. Nallamothu Karol Watson James S. Gammie Khurram Nasir Robert W. Yeh Hitinder S. Gurm Mpiko Ntsekhe   Paul Heidenreich Sara Pasquali   Adrian F. Hernandez Pamela N. Peterson     Staff Managing Editors: Emily Picillo and Kathleen Sullivan Editorial Assistant: Samantha Feisel     Circulation Editor-in-Chief Joseph Loscalzo   Deputy Editor Senior Associate Editors Joseph A. Vita Jane W. Newburger   Marc A. Pfeffer   Jeffrey E. Saffitz   Associate Editors Christine M. Albert Edgardo Escobar Thomas Michel James E. Udelson Gary J. Balady David P. Faxon Bonjani Mawethu Mayosi Ramachandran S. Vasan James A. Balschi Caroline S. Fox Shigetake Sasayama Kenneth Walsh Emelia J. Benjamin Jane E. Freedman Scott D. Solomon Michael T. Watkins Christoph Bode Scott Kinlay John A. Spertus David O. Williams John G. Byrne Harlan M. Krumholz Lynne Warner Stevenson   Ravin Davidoff Jane A. Leopold William G. Stevenson   Marcelo F. Di Carli Calum A. MacRae Andrew M. Tonkin     Scientific Publishing Committee American Heart Association Robert M. Carey Richard W. Newman Chair Vice Chair   Cheryl Anderson David Bush Salvador Cruz-Flores Kathy Griendling Kelly A. Hadsell Joseph A. Hill Evangelos D. Michelakis Alison Mudditt Sean I. Savitz P.K. Shah Linda Van Horn Y. Joseph Woo