2007 was an eventful year for the world of medical blogs. We saw old favorites disappear, like Medpundit and Dr. Flea, and heard from provocative new voices. Last year, the mainstream media and Wall Street invested more in medical blogs and forums — but from our perspective the most insightful, passionate medical writing keeps coming from independent bloggers: doctors, nurses, students and healthcare professionals that venture online to share their thoughts.
We salute all the medical bloggers, but to draw attention to the best of the bunch, we let readers weigh in. That’s right — the same people that inspire and cajole bloggers to write their best got to nominate their favorites. After our editorial board (plus some esteemed guests) narrowed down the list of reader-selected nominees, we once again put it to an open vote.
And the readers have spoken! So, without further ado — the WINNERS of the 2007 Medical Weblog Awards!
BEST MEDICAL BLOG: This was a wide-open race featuring many “must-read” blogs that readers nominated repeatedly in other categories. Kevin, MD is a perennial favorite, an aggregator of interesting (and provocative) medical news. Surgeonsblog is a lyrical look back at a career in surgery. Respectful Insolence is a fountain of opinions on the scientific establishment and its enemies. DiabetesMine is chock-full of nuggets and news on an increasingly prevalent disease. All these blogs are expertly crafted and worthy of acclaim.
But the readers have chosen another: Running a Hospital, the blog by Paul Levy, CEO of Beth Israel-Deaconess in Boston, Massachusetts. Levy has lifted the veil on hospital administration at one of the world’s premier institutions — he writes openly about his salary, his hospital’s infection rates, controversial partnerships and upcoming plans. His candor and openness, and willingness to respond to commenters and critics has inspired readers and bloggers alike. Alone among an excellent field of nominees, Running a Hospital is a blog that might actually change the way healthcare works in this country. For this reason, and many more, readers have chosen Paul Levy’s site as the Best Medical Blog.
BEST NEW MEDICAL BLOG: There were a lot of promising nominees in this category, and we enjoyed exploring the merits of these emerging new voices. The readers, however, favored one voice: Dr. Val, and the Voice of Reason. Part of the Revolution Health Network, Dr. Val brings a very human approach to medicine, balancing news and research with anecdotes and humor. A very reasonable choice!
BEST LITERARY MEDICAL BLOG: This is the kind of blog readers turn to when they want a well-written tale or rumination on the art of medicine. This year’s winner should be familiar to longtime fans — it’s Random Acts of Reality by Tom Reynolds of the London Ambulance Service. Tom’s gripping tales from the frontlines of the human condition are what won him this category in 2005 (the year he also took top honors for Best Medical Blog). Other nominees included Dr. Hébert’s Medical Gumbo, intueri, A Chronic Dose, and Surgeonsblog.
BEST HEALTH POLICIES / ETHICS BLOG: This topic featured some really interesting websites, including cardiologist Dr. Wes, The Physician Executive, Respectful Insolence, and the Carlat Psychiatry blog (Dr. Cartlat’s writing has been featured in the NYTimes). But readers once again gravitated to Running a Hospital, CEO Paul Levy’s insightful attempt to make hospital administration transparent.
BEST MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES / INFORMATICS BLOG: Hmm… We’ve got a bit of a dilemma here. In fact, we’re going to hold off on naming a winner in this category, until we review the voting data, and consult an ethicist (perhaps one of the nominees in the previous category…)
BEST CLINICAL SCIENCES WEBLOG: This was a tight contest between a young upstart resident and a seasoned vet. Sumer’s Radiology Site, which won in 2005, narrowly lost out to New York Emergency Medicine, the innovative new blog that features interviews with leading figures in EM, quizzes with cash prizes, and interesting medical and legal case discussions. Other notable nominees included Clinical Cases and Images and Aetiology.
BEST PATIENT BLOG: The winner here was Chronic Babe, a site created for young women by Jenni Prokopy. Her positive outlook in the face of debilitating chronic illness is infectious — and readers agreed. The other stellar nominees included Six Until Me, Billy Bob’s Wild Ride, The biopsy report, and the aforementioned DiabetesMine, which was nominated for best blog — a remarkable accomplishment!
This year’s Medical Weblog Awards has been sponsored by ScrubsGallery.com. They’ve graciously donated an Amazon Kindle portable reader, which will go to the winner of the Best Medical Blog, Paul Levy. Other category winners will receive the Cambridge Illustrated History of Medicine.
The 2007 Medical Weblog Awards Nominees …
The 2007 Medical Weblog Awards announcement…