Dermpedia.org: A Successful On-Line Society for Dermatopathologists

Dermpedia.org is a website devoted to collecting and disseminating the knowledge, science and experience of dermatopathology, a field of medicine concerned with understanding and diagnosing diseases of the skin. Dermpedia provides an easy to use platform for dermatopathologists to share interesting cases. Posted cases can be linked by the users to different events, collections (conferences in dermpedia language), research projects, and books. The cases can be searched by different criteria including diagnoses. The basic premise of dermpedia is that individual cases capture experience of the users and illustrate selected problems. The users are encouraged to post classic examples of disease entities as well as cases illustrating diagnostic dilemmas and potential pitfalls. In addition, Dermpedia contains a wiki, free user-editable textbook. In contrast to cases, the textbook is intended to present state of the art of the field, objectively tested and verified information. Dermpedia is also designed to serve as an online community for practicing physicians, medical students and trainees. The users or organizations are encouraged to create their own home pages (conferences) where they can present information about themselves and where they can publish their own cases. Dermpedia can support online clinicopathological conferences, grand rounds, courses and seminars. Users of Dermpedia can collaborate on research projects. The website provides a forum for collecting series of cases and sharing insights and comments. Dermpedia also presents frequently updated RSS feeds from key dermatology, dermatopathology, pathology and medicine journals, so it can serve as the information hub for a busy dermatolopathogists. Dermpedia was created at a very low cost using Drupal 5 and has not been marketed. We have been fascinated by a rapid growth of the membership which after 3 years online stands at 2000. For comparison, the largest professional dermatopathology society, American Society of Dermatopathology, has less than 1000 members. Dermpedia content includes more than 1200 cases and 9000 images. Dermpedia membership is free. The website is entirely funded by revenue from an annual stationary Dermpedia CME Course for physicians. Dermpedia is self-funded and does not depend on sponsorship. Our experience identifies an online medical society as a viable business model. []