JCDA.ca is Named a Priority Project

At a recent meeting of the CDA Board, the new JCDA, along with the Branding Working Group and advocacy activities related to seniors’ dental care, were designated as priority projects of the organization for the coming year.

Having JCDA accorded such priority is a measure of the importance that our Board members attach to the development of our new, primarily electronic platform for clinical conversations. Of course, with increased attention comes added responsibility to make this project succeed—and succeed soon.

When I am asked these days what my job entails, I say that my role with the new JCDA is to convene community around credible clinical content. I no longer think of JCDA as a periodical publication per se, but rather as a vital component of the clinical “knowledge broker” role that CDA has adopted. Turning a traditional professional journal into a meeting place for clinical conversations is a major challenge that will require the input and expertise of colleagues in Canada and around the world. The prize to be earned is recognition as a truly useful resource that will aid the clinical decision making of dentists.

I am totally committed to the philosophy that the future direction of JCDA should be guided by the very dentists to whom we provide our services. To this end, I seek your feedback and advice about the current components of the new JCDA and what other features we can provide in order to be useful at the point of patient care. I am also seeking your input in helping to develop the website as a new meeting place for dentists to discuss solutions to clinical problems.

Here are my respectful “asks” of you:

• Could you please take 15 minutes to have a look around the new JCDA.ca site and let me know what you like about it, what you don’t like about it, what’s missing and what needs to be there to make it more interesting for you.


• In particular, please visit the Products & Services section and tell us what would make this area more useful and compelling for you?


• Do you have insights or suggestions for how social media could be used to enhance JCDA.ca as a useful platform for clinical conversations?


• If I tell you that we want to create an online library of clinical resources as a component of the new JCDA, what type of information or materials would be useful to your daily clinical decision making?


• Finally, if you believe you have particular expertise to offer to the new JCDA (e.g., as a discussion forum moderator, as a member of our community of clinical experts, as a contributor who can create or add value to clinical content) please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I look forward to continuing this conversation with you.

Dr. John P. O'Keefe
Editor-in-chief, JCDA

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