Track

Clinical Studies

Abstract

Skin diseases are very common clinical issues affecting up to one in four Americans (over 84.5 million). While many of these conditions can be diagnosed during clinical examination, many conditions require skin biopsies due to overlapping clinical features.  Many of these patients are treated by dermatologists with formal dermatopathology training. However, there are many advanced practice providers and primary care physicians who manage these conditions without the formal education.  Only one third of Americans with skin disease are seen by a dermatologist, with most of this population being seen by non-dermatology physicians and advanced practice providers. As a result, the level of exposure and familiarity to dermatopathology varies greatly.  This can make it difficult for non-dermatologists to understand diagnostic criteria and fully comprehend the pathology report.  Our goal was to create a practical online tool to help these health care providers to better understand the concepts of histopathology and enhance the management of their patients (digitalskinpathology.com). The website uses a case-based approach and topic-specific chapters with annotated images to highlight histopathologic features in relevant clinical context as well as providing a sample pathology report to give needed exposure to skin histopathology. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve patient care by giving providers and learners of all levels the opportunity to better learn and/or review skin pathology.