Lung diseases such as COPD, asthma, ARDS, and pneumonia, to name a few, occur not only in North America, but also everywhere around the world. Respiratory therapies such as aerosol administration, airway clearance, mechanical ventilation, and pulmonary rehabilitation are likewise practiced worldwide.

In North America, respiratory care is primarily within the purview of respiratory therapists. But elsewhere around the world, physiotherapists, nurses, physicians, and others have primary responsibility for the practice of respiratory care.

The Journal serves as a unifier of knowledge for persons practicing respiratory care worldwide. There is no better evidence for this than the increasing numbers of submissions to the Journal from authors outside the United States. This has resulted in many more international published papers; indeed, Respiratory Care has become the international Journal for persons interested in the science of respiratory care. I welcome submissions from our international colleagues. We are particularly interested in original research studies that have generalizability beyond the region where the study was conducted.

Please visit our website and take advantage of what is offered there — www.rcjournal.com. By creating an account, you have full access to all of our published content in both HTML and PDF formats. If you are using a mobile device, the website will automatically display in a compatible format. You might also consider the apps available for Apple and Android devices. The links to the apps are provided on our home page.

A podcast featuring the Journal contents is produced each month. The podcasts are available in English, Mandarin, and Portuguese. This is a great overview of what is available each month. In the iTunes store, you can subscribe to the podcasts so that they are automatically delivered each month.

How can you get more involved with the Journal? First, and most important, read the Journal each month. Share the content with your colleagues and encourage them to also read the Journal. Second, you can serve as a peer reviewer for the Journal. Go to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rcare and create an account under “New User?” You will be asked to identify categories of expertise in which you are willing to provide peer reviews. Finally, consider submitting an original research paper to the Journal. If you plan to do this, I strongly suggest that you read carefully the Guidelines for Authors found on our website.

Respiratory Care is an international Journal and I invite your participation.

Dean R. Hess PhD RRT FAARC
Editor-in-Chief
Respiratory Care