Project Goals

To advance, knowledge, research and clinical practice pertaining to skin disease co-morbidities

This multi-year, multi-discipline project, led and coordinated by the SID, is designed to facilitate interactions and collaborations across multiple medical and basic science disciplines in order to:

• identify the depth and state of knowledge on connections between dermatologic and non-dermatologic diseases, including their existence, scientific bases and prevalence;
• make recommendations pertaining to support of basic and clinical research in the area; and
• enhance public (including media and policy) awareness and public and policy support for basic and clinical research in the area.

Launch Conference Goals

The launch conference goals are to:

• explore the existence, scientific knowledge about, and prevalence of, associations between
1. the occurrence of cutaneous and clinically significant extracutaneous disease (with or without common pathophysiology); and
2. dermatologic effects of treating extracutaneous diseases;
• develop hypotheses regarding the extent and mechanisms of co-morbidities.
• explore the implications for inter-disciplinary collaboration; and
• provide the foundation for the sustained integration of basic and clinical medical knowledge on co-morbidities.

Launch Conference Outcomes

The three principal outcomes of the two day conference will be:

• An initial research agenda;
• A next steps agenda for moving the co-morbidities project forward; and
• Sufficient information to develop and publishon line and in print a conference proceedings document that has as an objective building momentum for moving the overall project forward

Initial Research Agenda

Outcomes

Knowledge:

For each of the three subject areas, the group will identify

• what is known and what is unknown and needs to be known to advance fundamental knowledge;
• how what is known in each subject area can be further illuminated (eg, through intensified research in specific areas);
• of those knowledge gaps identified in each subject area are significant barriers to research and/or clinical application and strategies for addressing those gaps;
• potential methods for data collection; and
• specific steps that need to be undertaken to begin addressing needs in research and clinical practice

Participants:

The group will identify the disciplines, organizations and parties that must be engaged to move the research agenda forward

Resources:

The group will identify:

• the current and new human and capital resources necessary to move the research agenda forward; and
• potential new revenue streams to procure those resources

Next Steps Agenda

Outcomes

Knowledge:

The group will identify short term (two year) and long term (five year) activities that could serve to expand knowledge and education on skin disease co-morbidities

Examples include:

• broad dissemination of the conference proceedings;
• sponsorship of an online co-morbidity database;
• educational initiatives for residents and PhDs;
  • a May 2009 symposium at the SID Annual Meeting disseminating the outcomes of the conference;
  • a 2009/2010 conference enhancing the 2008 conference to examining other types of co-morbidity related to skin and its disorders;
  • a 2010 forum at the AAD annual meeting; and
  • a process for indentifying other possible co-morbidities

Participants:

The group will identify the disciplines, organizations and parties that must be engaged to move the project forward.

Resources:

The group will identify the human and capital resources necessary to accomplish the above; and potential revenue streams to procure those resources.