Why Publish this Special Issue? A New Paradigm in the Use of Technology to Aid in the Widespread Dissemination of Dermatologic Knowledge

Abstract

We have all been there…putting in hours of work into a clinical research poster presented at a major academic conference, only to have the information within lost forever following the conclusion of the meeting.

At SKIN: The Journal of Cutaneous MedicineTM, we understand the importance of preserving and disseminating such vital information. Research efforts aside, the loss of knowledge to the Dermatology community that occurs each time a poster is discarded goes against the spirit of broad-based knowledge dissemination and academic pursuit.

While publication expenses and space limitations have limited the ability to distribute scientific posters through traditional print venues, we at SKIN see the great potential in using an online platform to make free open access to poster presentations beyond those who attend a conference a possibility. In the interest of applying technology to education and to meet this challenge, we are proud to introduce our first supplemental issue.

In this issue of SKIN, you will find 138 scientific posters presented at the 2017 Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference® in Las Vegas, NV, from October 12-15, 2017, grouped by topic. We hope that making this knowledge easily available to you will facilitate expedited dissemination into clinical practice where appropriate.

The Editors of SKIN hope that you will find the information presented to be informative and useful and look forward to your thoughts and ideas of how we can continue to make SKIN optimize its value to you.