BMA Medical Book Competition Awards 2004 - Winners Announced

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 20 Nov 2004 - 20:00 PDT

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This year's BMA (British Medical Association) Medical Book Competition has attracted unprecedented interest leading to a raft of winners across the popular medicine, clinical practice and patient information sectors.

Altogether, 24 first prizes and 90 highly commended awards were won from a total entry of 524 books ? 12 per cent higher than last year.

The award for the 2004 Medical Book of the Year goes to A Practical Manual of Diabetic Footcare by Dr Michael E Edmonds, Alethea V M Foster and Lee J Saunders, published by Blackwell Publishing (2003, £69.50). The book also won in the Endocrinology section. Michael Edmonds is a consultant physician and Alethea Foster is chief podiatrist at the Diabetic Foot Clinic at King's College Hospital London; Lee Sanders is chief of the podiatry service at the Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Centre in Pennsylvania. A reviewer said the book was a "first class text" and "a practical guide with information and advice which is easy to access. The BMA Patient Information Award winner is Understanding Breast Reconstruction by CancerBACUP. This booklet which is aimed at women (or their friends) who have had, or are about to have breast surgery was praised as being a "wonderful resource from a consistently excellent series" which "covers all issues, both medical and emotional and discusses the benefits and the limitations of reconstruction in an even-handed way and, importantly, also includes a suggested list of questions to ask your surgeon."

A separate award acknowledges the increasing importance of patient sites on the internet. The first prize was awarded to http://www.menopausematters.co.uk - an independent website which impressed judges with its clear design and wealth of information. Its reviewer commented: "this independent, clinician-led website covers all of the ground in a well-designed and clear interface." 75 web sites were entered for the award for web sites primarily aimed at consumers ? a substantial increase on the 18 entered in the previous year.

There were two new awards this year. The BMA Illustrated Book Award was given to McMinns Color Atlas of Head and Neck Anatomy 3rd edition by Bari M Logan, Dr Patricia A Reynolds and Ralph T Hutchings, published by Mosby (2003, £40). Its reviewer described the book a "a beautifully illustrated anatomy text".

The second special award for the BMA Student Book Award was Clinical Bacteriology by Dr J Keith Suthers and Roger P Westran, published by Manson Publishing (2003, £19.95). The book's student reviewer said it was "a well planned, concise and useful book, with a strong emphasis on the clinical implications of science."

The prize of BMA Medical Journalist of the Year goes to John Carvel, Social Affairs Editor of The Guardian. Brian Butler, Director of Communications at the BMA congratulated Mr Carvel, he said: "He is adept at discovering the story within the story, whether it is the latest plans for reform or claims about workforce statistics."

For the first time, a highly commended prize has been awarded. It goes to Madeleine Brindley, Health Editor of the Western Mail, the national newspaper for Wales. "Her coverage of health and medical issues in Wales' national paper is of a consistently high quality across a vast array of issues", said Brian Butler.

Mr James Johnson, Chairman of BMA Council, presented the awards at a ceremony at BMA House in London on the evening of Thursday 18 November.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

The BMA Medical Book Competition has been held annually since 1996 by the BMA's Board of Science and administered by the BMA Library. It aims to encourage and reward excellence in medical publishing, patient information and medical journalism.

All entries are individually reviewed and appraised by doctors and educators who are interested in medical publishing.

Full details of all the prizewinners may be obtained from the BMA website at: http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/content/LIB2004WinnersBookCompetition?OpenDocument&Login.co.uk

Information on how to enter titles for the 2005 competition may be obtained from the BMA website at: http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/LIBAboutTheCompetition#enter

For more information please contact:

Neil Gadhok
Tel: 020 7383 6165
Email: ngadhok@bma.org.uk

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