9 award-winning health articles every health writer should read

Reading award-winning articles can help you become a better writer – here’s how.

As writers, we read widely in order to improve our craft. While it’s important to read a variety of writing styles, formats, publications and subject matters – and not just health topics – following writers who have had their work commended is a great way to improve.

Analysing articles written by award-winning writers, recognised for their superior storytelling abilities, meticulous medical research and ability to marry a unique perspective with excellent communication skills, gives you a benchmark of quality.

Whether you want to improve your storytelling technique, sentence structure, topic ideas or communication for a lay audience, striving to produce content of a similar standard to industry-recognised authors will enable you to develop your writing skills and techniques.

While many of the award-winning health articles listed below are long-form features, which may not be the style of writing you specialise in, you can still learn a lot from them. For example:

• Medical research – these writers describe research in accurate way and include the right amount of detail
• Interviews – consider who the writers have chosen to interview (both health experts as well as case studies) and study the way they quote their sources
• The beginning – many award-winning feature articles begin with a compelling, emotional story which engages readers immediately
• Flow and sentence structure – as great writers, these authors know how to string sentences together to create meaningful, interesting and impactful dialogue
• Topic – award-winning health articles often cover unusual or unique stories that don’t get a lot of mainstream media coverage

Every year, hundreds of competitions and awards around the world celebrate excellence in health and medical writing. The publications, associations and companies awarding health, medical and scientific articles include universities, medical journals, research institutions, industry associations and health professional associations.

Familiarising yourself with the judging criteria is important as it helps you to understand the specific reasons why the article won. Some judges may be looking at the quality and breadth of research, while others might consider the writer’s storytelling ability, natural writing style and original topic.

Read the award-winning articles

Here are nine award-winning health articles, mostly long-form features, which have won prestigious writing awards in the past couple of years.

Guns & Suicide – The Hidden Toll

• Award: Grand Gold Award, Best Article of the Year
• Awarder: Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
• Author: Madeline Drexler
• Publication: Harvard Public Health

Light-bulb Moments for a Nonprofit

• Award: ASJA Writing Awards, Arlene, 2015
• Awarder: American Society of Journalists and Authors
• Author: Christine Larson
• Publication: New York Times

In the Wake of a Typhoon, a Surprising Discovery: Part One

• Award: ASJA Writing Awards, Outstanding Article – Dramatic Narrative, 2015
• Awarder: American Society of Journalists and Authors
• Author: David Page
• Publication: Take Part

The Utilization and Impact of Core Needle Biopsy Diagnosis on Breast Cancer Outcomes in British Columbia

• Award: J.H. MacDermot Writing Award 2014
• Awarder: BC Medical Journal
• Authors: Kristy Cho, Scott Tyldesley, MD, FRCPC, Caroline Speers, BA, Barbara Poole Lane, MPA, Karen A. Gelmon, MD, FRCPC, Christine Wilson, MD, FRCPC
• Publication: BC Medical Journal

The Wages of Health

• Award: Silver Award, Best Article of the Year
• Awarder: Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
• Author: Paul Hond
• Publication: Colombia Magazine

Imaging Foreign Bodies

• Award: 2015 Eric Martin Award – Professional Audience
• Awarder: American Medical Writers Association
• Author: Kathryn Faguy, MA
• Publication: Radiologic Technology

How to Curb Comfort Eating

• Award: DAA Excellence in Nutrition Journalism, 2014
• Awarder: Dietitians Association of Australia
• Author: Stephanie Osfield
• Publication: Healthy Food Guide

One of a Kind: What Do You Do if Your Child Has a Condition That Is New to Science?

• Award: 2015 Eric Martin Award – Public or Health Care Consumer Audience
• Awarder: American Medical Writers Association
• Author: Seth Mnookin
• Publication: The New Yorker

A ‘Smart’ Way to Spot Schizophrenia Signs

• Award: Max Perutz Science Writing Award
• Awarder: Medical Research Council (MRC)
• Author: Emily Eisner
• Publication: BBC News