Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Bibliometrics
• Knowledge Management

Background:

• The Index Medicus for the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region (IMEMR) serves as a vital resource for regional health and biomedical literature.
• It uniquely aggregates content from 408 peer-reviewed journals across 22 countries, supporting knowledge management initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the rationale, history, and current status of the IMEMR.
• To analyze bibliometric indicators of the IMEMR to understand its scope and impact.
• To discuss future developments and challenges associated with the IMEMR.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of journal titles, articles, languages, subjects, and author distributions.
• Assessment of journal coverage in major databases like MEDLINE and EMBASE.
• Review of the IMEMR's role in the WHO Regional Office's knowledge management program.

Main Results:

• Egypt and Pakistan contribute over 50% of the articles indexed.
• Approximately 90% of articles are published in English; Epidemiology constitutes 8% of the content.
• 15% of journals are MEDLINE-indexed, and 7% are EMBASE-indexed.

Conclusions:

• The IMEMR is a significant, albeit concentrated, source of regional health information, primarily in English.
• Future expansion will broaden the scope to include diverse literature types and enhance global accessibility.
• Addressing challenges in coverage and indexing is crucial for maximizing the Index's impact.