Showing real-world impact through policy documents and clinical guidelines citations

At BMJ Group, we focus on making a real-world impact through our publications. While scholarly influence is significant, we can see its value in real-world implications for policy and clinical guidelines and how it drives health and social care change.

According to credible data provided by BMJ Impact Analytics, we are one of the top ten most influential publishers on health and social care policy, outperforming many larger publishers in terms of our real-world impact. 

Remarkable citation impact of elite athlete recovery and performance research

Clare Ardern, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia, has made significant contributions to sports medicine through her research on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Her 2017 publication in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM), titled, Eighty-three per cent of elite athletes return to preinjury sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review with meta-analysis of return to sport rates, graft rupture rates and performance outcomes,‘ has achieved exceptional influence with 340 citations—91 times the field average. This landmark study highlighted that 83% of elite athletes return to their preinjury sport level and underscored the effectiveness of ACL reconstruction, setting new standards for recovery expectations and clinical practices.

Building on this success, Ardern’s subsequent paper, Fifty-five per cent return to competitive sport following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis, has further solidified her impact.

With 992 citations across 11 categories and a citation rate approximately 216 times the average for similar studies, this review provides critical insights into the factors affecting return-to-sport rates and continues to guide postoperative rehabilitation strategies. The paper’s high citation counts its substantial influence in shaping contemporary sports science research and practice.

The ongoing impact of our research, which is still being cited today, underscores BJSM’s reputation for publishing significant and valuable work, highlighting the broad readership that benefits from BJSM’s research.”

Clare Ardern, PhD. Assistant Professor,
Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia

How evidence-based policy can drive meaningful change

In 2015, researchers from the University of Calgary published a paper in the British Journal of Sports Medicine*Titled Policy change eliminating body checking in non-elite ice hockey leads to a threefold reduction in injury and concussion risk in 11- and 12-year-old players, the paper has been cited 81 times across seven categories, with nearly 20% of those citations occurring in the past two years.

Compared to other publications in the same field of Sports Science, this paper is exceptionally well cited, receiving about 13 times more citations than average. Highly influential, the paper led to the policy change banning body checking in non-elite ice hockey for 11-12-year-olds, and resulted in a threefold reduction in injury and concussion risk.

The paper on policy change in ice hockey highlights the powerful role that well placed evidence can play in shaping effective, real world policies and improving athlete safety.

Read about the positive difference we make in areas beyond publishing: