"Our goal is to 'future proof' by preparing for not only today’s public health emergencies but also emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and other diagnoses of public health significance. "
The Vermont Department of Health is collaborating with VisualDx to make its clinical support knowledge system available to all Vermont physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
The first time I used VisualDx was for a MyChart encounter in which a patient had been seen out of state and the rash on their hand still was not healing. They sent a picture and I used VisualDx to diagnose herpetic whitlow. It was on the joint and was not a typical presentation so was not thought of when she was seen previously.
—Dr. Mariani, UVMMC family medicine physician
See How To Get the Most Out of Your Access
This 18-minute tutorial video will guide you through how to:
- Start a guided workup
- View a custom differential
- Claim CME
- Filter images by skin color and body location
- Report conditions to the Department of Health
We know the many challenges our healthcare professionals face and this clinician support initiative is in direct response to support those challenges:
- Easing burnout by providing intuitive tools
- Supporting patient engagement with shared decision making.
- Preventing the spread of infectious disease with a new and easy way to report communicable diseases to the department of health
- Strengthening our clinician community as we can all encourage collaboration between clinicians and students on one platform used uniformly across the state.
- Supporting health equity by ensuring every patient has access to the best decision-making tools that improve the care of all Vermonters, no matter the gender, race, age, ability, or geographical region.
Health Equity Resources
VisualDx shares The Vermont Department of Health’s commitment to health equity.
VisualDx particular helps me identify my more vague cases. The ease of using the platform in particular helps me to quickly navigate what my diagnosis will be as well as therapy and patient education. Particularly helpful with dermatological cases, the photos provided are an excellent resource for learning as well in helping me gain more knowledge that field.
—Grace, Family Medicine Nurse Practitioner at UVMC
FAQs
What is VisualDx? VisualDx is a peer-reviewed, electronic health record (EHR)-interoperable professional resource available on desktop and smartphones. The clinical decision support system covers over 3400 diseases and is used in the exam room to assist professional decisions at over 2300 hospitals and clinics globally. The system is particularly comprehensive for dermatologic and infectious disease presentations. The continually updated system includes more than 45,000 skin, oral, eye, genital, hair, nail, radiographic and ECG images and is used widely to assist diagnosis and educate patients. The system has a unique capability to search by patient symptoms and patient finding clues, thereby supporting differential diagnosis, testing and treatment decisions for common and rare diagnoses. Clinicians can receive point of care CME credit for every search.
Why should I use clinical support tools? The pace of change in infectious disease and public health makes improving disease recognition and modernizing public health’s communication with you and all healthcare professionals imperative. Diagnostic accuracy can drive more appropriate antibiotic use. Early skin cancer recognition will have better clinical outcomes. Emerging and re-emerging diseases of public health significance are increasing in frequency and public health should not be an afterthought separated from day-to-day care. Early diagnosis through improved alerting, education, and decision support, as well as fast access disease reporting, is a goal of the initiative.
Who is eligible to use VisualDx? All Vermont MDs, DOs, NPs, PAs, and UVM medical and nurse practitioner students are eligible to receive access to VisualDx. Primary care (family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN) and all hospitals, emergency medicine departments, and urgent care clinics in the state of Vermont are the initiative focus. Clinicians who fully adopt VisualDx tool into their daily routine will save time, engage their patients more meaningfully, and will be an active part of keeping Vermont healthy. All UVM medical and nurse practitioner students will have access to VisualDx on their desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Covering more than 3,400 diagnoses and 46,000 images, VisualDx is used during the first year as a powerful reference tool and can assist with problem-based learning. As you move into your clinical rotations you will find VisualDx as a clinical reasoning assistant and a differential diagnosis support tool. We encourage UVM students to be involved in The Vermont Clinician Support Initiative and to innovate and participate in educational research with us.
When does this initiative begin? Individuals, clinics, and hospitals will receive access on a first-come, first-served basis. The tiered rollout plan by practice begins Aug. 15, 2022. We hope to provide all Vermont professionals with access by Dec. 31, 2022.
How do I get the VisualDx app? You can find your special access link on this page.
Where Can I Use VisualDx? This is a digital initiative. You can use the software in the exam room or anywhere clinical decisions are made. The iOS and Android smartphone apps have the same capability as the desktop as well as a unique AI-powered photo analysis workflow for common skin disorders.
About VisualDx
VisualDx is a healthcare informatics company headquartered in Rochester, NY. VisualDx began in public health over 20 years ago assisting the CDC and state, city, and county public health departments with bio-preparedness following the spread of anthrax in the US mail. Its strategy then, and now, is “dual use.”
By providing a useful knowledge resource for medicine addressing day to day clinical care the Vermont Department of Health can also share critical public health information in the context of this useful clinical resource.
Your Support Team:
Lorna Li, Project Manager
Ashley Caimano, Client Success Manager
Amy Marriott, Director of Client Success