Figure 1, the Webby award-winning platform for medical case-based knowledge sharing, is the world’s leading platform for case-based knowledge sharing and medical collaboration. More than 3 million healthcare professionals contribute to the collective knowledge on Figure 1 and use its platform to collaborate on patient cases in real-time. In the words of a pediatric subspecialist, Figure 1 keeps their “deductive skills sharp.”
Importantly, this medical collaboration has a tangible impact on clinical outcomes. Forty percent of healthcare professionals who are unable to solve a patient case on their own find a resolution through peer-to-peer collaboration on Figure 1. Here are just a couple of examples of how patients were directly impacted by collaboration within Figure 1.
Diagnosing a Concerning Rash on Young Child
An 8 month old was brought to their primary healthcare provider after developing a unique “whip” like rash on their left arm. The healthcare provider, a physician assistant, had never seen a rash quite like this before, with long linear welts clustered together. The child had no known allergies, and was in otherwise good health. What could have caused this rash?
The physician assistant was concerned the child may have been physically abused, but wanted another opinion before moving forward with that diagnosis. So they posted the case in the Figure 1 app.
Within a few hours, a family physician responded. They had seen a similar whip-like rash in a Figure 1 case a few months back, where a 50 year old had eaten undercooked shiitake mushrooms. Perhaps this child had done the same.
Sure enough, the child had had soup with shiitake mushrooms for lunch. This is a great example of how Figure 1 can quickly help healthcare providers connect with each other to diagnose patients and improve patient care through medical collaboration.
Resolving a Rare Complication
A neurology resident in Russia is concerned about a patient. The resident has been caring for a 23 year old with several neurological symptoms that have been getting progressively worse over the past year. During this time, the healthcare team has ordered a number of MRIs and blood tests to measure the progression of the illness. But they still haven’t been able to diagnose and treat the patient.
The neurology resident turns to the Figure 1 community and posts a detailed account of the case. The community pages several active physicians across a number of specialties, including neurology, neurosurgery, and infectious disease.
A few days later, on the recommendation of an infectious disease Figure 1 member, a cerebrospinal fluid test was done on the patient. The test came back positive for measles. A diagnosis was made: subacute sclerosis panencephalitis — a rare complication of the measles virus that may arise up to a decade after initial infection.
Originally published July 28, 2021; updated June 13, 2022
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