our collaborators:
IMPACT = Improving Medicine’s Power to Address Care and Treatment
Our Mission
Project IMPACT is a global effort brought to you by VisualDx to reduce disparities in medicine and highlight the tools we use to bridge gaps of knowledge and improve care.
Our Values
- We believe healthcare providers who evaluate and treat dermatologic conditions should be able to recognize disease in all skin colors.
- We believe technology that brings images and information to the point of care can reduce biases in medicine by bridging knowledge gaps.
- We believe it is imperative to address healthcare disparities and to work towards health equity for all citizens of the world.
Together We Can Make an IMPACT
Health disparities continue to profoundly afflict people of color nationally and globally and the statistics are staggering. ProjectIMPACT was created to help reduce those disparities and help bring health equity to all people.
Disease Presentation in Different Skin Colors
Recognizing how diseases present on all skin types is key in reducing diagnostic error and improving patient care. Unfortunately, many professional resources often do not adequately provide medical education on diseases in skin of color. VisualDx has been committed to reducing bias in medical knowledge for 20 years. A recent JAAD study showed that “VisualDx demonstrates pathology on dark skin in remarkably high proportion to other resources.”4
Contribute Your Images
People with darker skin face worse health outcomes than their peers with lighter skin. By ensuring that clinicians and students have access to a diverse set of clinical images we can begin to improve healthcare outcomes—particularly for patients of color. Join the movement and contribute your medical photos to VisualDx.
Our Global Impact
People worldwide are pledging to reduce racial bias in healthcare.
Explore the map above to see where people are pledging.
Project IMPACT and its collaborators remain committed to reducing bias and disparities in medical knowledge by improving diagnosis in skin of color around the globe.
Efforts are underway to enhance access to technology and medical resources in remote areas.
take the pledgeKey Research
Healthcare
Disparities
Skin Cancer in
People of Color
Racial and ethnic disparities in melanoma awareness: A cross-sectional survey
Representation
in Education
Digital Resources
VisualDx is an award-winning application designed to enhance diagnostic accuracy, aid therapeutic decisions, and improve patient safety. Features include the world’s best medical image library to make timely clinical decisions. See the video on how to use our Skin of Color feature.
Contact us to see how other educational programs are using VisualDx to supplement their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Resources for Patients
Aysa
A mobile app by VisualDx that uses artificial intelligence to give personalized guidance for your skin based on your photo submission.
Skinsight
Patient website by VisualDx dedicated to providing medical information on conditions affecting skin, nails, and hair.
Skin of Color Society
Articles and videos to educate on skin diseases that impact people of color.
Spotlight Series
A deeper dive on industry leaders who are making an impact, the skin conditions that affect people of color, the latest health equity research, and more.
IMPACT Leaders
Skin of Color Conditions
Coming Soon: Fellowship Opportunities
Diagnosis of Impact: Acne Keloidalis Nuchae
Acne keloidalis nuchae is a chronic inflammatory disorder typically affecting the occipital scalp and nape of the neck. It most commonly affects Black men and may have psychosocial impacts, including on quality of life.
Read BlogEducational Partner Resources
The Impact of Skin Color and Ethnicity on Clinical Diagnosis and Research
A series of four educational webinars in which clinical experts, thought leaders, and advocates discuss issues of health disparities, structural racism, and medicine while examining specific dermatologic diseases. This event series is brought to you by the Skin of Color Society, NEJM Group, and VisualDx.
learn moreJoin the Project IMPACT Community
Improving health equity is a goal that will take a collaborative and dedicated effort. There are many ways to be part of #ProjectIMPACT and help make a difference. Join us and feel free to share your ideas, feedback, and how you’d like to get involved.
Take the Pledge
“I’m taking the #ProjectIMPACT pledge because I am committed to reducing bias and improving dermatologic care for people of color. https://www.visualdx.com/projectimpact/”
From the community:
“I pledge to promote health equity and increase the 3% in #dermatology by supporting the pipeline of talented and passionate UIM students with #mentorship. As been done by @SusanTaylorMD @HarrisTryonLab @hairwithdrmare @CorySimpsonMD and countless others #ProjectIMPACT.”
–University of Rochester physician
“I take the #ProjectIMPACT pledge because improving healthcare outcomes for skin of color patients is a privilege and a duty. As medical students/residents/physicians, the humblest part of our work is being servants for the under-served human beings in our communities.”
–The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston medical student
Project IMPACT In the News
Practical Dermatology: Confronting Biases to Improve Patient Care
(MAY 13, 2021) Cognitive bias is a well-defined phenomenon in the psychology literature that has been clearly shown to affect physicians’ decision making. “There are several different types of cognitive biases; healthcare professionals, including physicians, are at potential risk to fall prey to several specific cognitive biases and must be attuned to these,” says Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc, FAAD.
- 2019 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; December 2020. AHRQ Pub. No. 20(21)-0045-EF.
- Nelson B. How dermatology is failing melanoma patients with skin of color: Unanswered questions on risk and eye-opening disparities in outcomes are weighing heavily on melanoma patients with darker skin. In this article, part 1 of a 2-part series, we explore the deadly consequences of racism and inequality in cancer care. Cancer Cytopathol. 2020 Jan;128(1):7-8. doi: 10.1002/cncy.22229. PMID: 31905269.
- White S, Ojugbele O. Addressing racial disparities in medical education: Commentary on the Curriculum Inventory Report: Coverage of racial disparity in medicine education content in accredited U.S. medical schools, academic year 2017-2018. Curriculum in Context. 2019:6(2):1-6.
- Alvarado SM, Feng H. Representation of dark skin images of common dermatologic conditions in educational resources: a cross-sectional analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020 Jun 18:S0190-9622(20)31138-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.06.041. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32565205.