Big changes are on the horizon for the Oxford Textbook of Medicine. The forthcoming edition of the three-volume, 6,000-page, 25-pound medical reference will be available in both print and online versions. In addition, the title will be offered at a reduced rate, or free in some cases, to more than 3,500 institutions in developing nations.
The digital edition will offer numerous interactive features and annual content updates, according to the book's product description:
Containing the full text and all [2,500] figures and illustrations, the online version has a clear and easy-to-use interface with excellent navigation and search and browse options. In addition, the online edition facilitates links to sources of related and further reading via PubMed, ISI, and CrossRef. All the figures are downloadable into Powerpoint.
The Wellcome Trust will sponsor online access to the textbook in low- and middle-income countries through the World Health Organization’s HINARI Access to Research in Health Programme. Wellcome Trust Director Mark Walport said in a release:
The Oxford Textbook of Medicine plays a considerable part in consolidating the practice of evidence-based medicine around the world...This will support these countries in building research capacity and promoting evidence-based medicine, ensuring that research knowledge is translated into practice
