Textbook of Maritime Medicine

After NCMM in 2008 had decided to try to produce a long wanted learning material in maritime medicine, prominent members of the maritime medicine community attending a NIVA meeting in Bergen in June 2008 were asked to contribute to the task.

The following professionals agreed to serve as members of an editorial board:

Tim Carter, Great Britain	Klaus Seidenstücker, Germany	Luisa Canals, Spain	Rob Verbist, Belgium
Henrik Hansen, Denmark	Arne.J.Ulven, Norway	Alf Magne Horneland, Norway Editor	Aksel Schreiner, Norway Coordinator

First editorial board meeting. Establishment. Bergen 12 th June 2008

The first meeting was held in Bergen 12^th of June 2008. It was decided that the project be named “Textbook of Maritime medicine” and that the target group shall be authorized medical doctors who work within maritime medicine or take interest in the field, senior medical students and other personnel with a special interest in maritime medicine.

The board agreed that the professional should be high and to all possible extent be based on evidence.

It was further decided that the form of publication shall be a website with free access based only on registration. A protected discussion forum should be included.

As for scope and extent it was emphasized that the publication shall serve

-          a handbook for practitioners in maritime medicine

-          a source for updating within maritime medicine

-          a textbook for students of maritime medicine

-          a source of information for other interested parties and individuals.

-          an optional forum for professional discussions in maritime medicine

The book shall not be a textbook of clinical medicine, but concentrate on the medical aspects that are particular for the maritime environment, related to work as a medical doctor e.g.

-          on board a ship,

-          in a shipping company,

-          in the offshore petroleum sector,

-          within maritime SAR

-          or for the pre-sea and periodic medical exam.

Finally, it was agreed that that authors should be acknowledged by the board, and that the publisher shall be Norwegian Centre for Maritime Medicine.

Second editorial board meeting, Consolidation. Amsterdam 24^th March 2009

At this meeting the authors were acknowledged and the progress of the production of text was discussed.

Third editorial board meeting. Continuation. Amsterdam 21^st October 2009

The discussion at this meeting concentrated on the progress of writing, replacement of authors and suggestions for reviewers.

Fourth editorial board meeting. Approaching publication. Amsterdam 17 th August 2010

Issues like access, design,printing and disclaimer were discussed. Furthermore it was decided to make the website subject to a master review to ensure that the scope of the textbook will meet the expectations of the first board meeting, namely that the text should discuss the maritime aspects of medical problems, and that medical issues are discussed only to the extent that is necessary to describe their specific maritime implications.

It was also decided to open the website by November 2010, even if some chapters were still missing.