Health reform and the Medical Journal of Australia

• In 2008, the Australian Government established three major health reform initiatives - the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, the first National Primary Health Care Strategy working group, and the Preventative Health Taskforce. • We examined which journals were most frequently cited in the publicly available discussion papers, commissioned papers, submissions and final reports of these initiatives. • Journal articles were cited most in discussion papers, commissioned papers and submissions, followed by reports and other publications from Australian organisations and governments. • The Medical Journal of Australia was the most cited journal, with 392 references to its articles (11.8% of all journal articles cited) in discussion papers, commissioned papers, submissions and an interim report, and 58 references to its articles (13.7% of total journal articles) in the three final reports. • Our findings demonstrate the importance of credible, local, accessible, peer-reviewed evidence in reforming the national health system, including hospitals, primary health care and preventive health care.