Dunedin health policy researcher Associate Prof Robin Gauld says his success in the British Medical Association medical books awards this month is like winning an Academy Award or Golden Globe.
Prof Gauld, of the University of Otago's department of preventive and social medicine, won the health and social care category of the annual awards with his book, The New Health Policy, published last year.
The awards attracted a total of 784 entries internationally, vying for positions in 21 categories and an overall first prize.
Prof Gauld, the author of eight books, said he was stunned by his success and said it validated the work which went into writing a book.
There had been "a solid year's work" writing the book and another year spent collating information, he said.
He had done the final draft of the book in Boston when he was there as a Harkness fellow and described it as a very difficult time taking up the fellowship while completing the work and shifting to another country with his family.
Prof Gauld's winning book considers the big issues facing health systems in developed countries.
It looks at the way Britain, New Zealand and the United States have approached these matters including patient safety, funding, public health, the role of the private sector and the changing involvement of the public in healthcare planning.
