What is NDC?

Neglected Diseases Collaboration (NDC) is an online community of doctors worldwide from all medical fields, allowing physicians to discuss patients with unusual symptoms and complex cases in order to obtain the right diagnosis quickly and efficiently. In it's 1^st stage, NDC will help diagnose children.

What does NDC mean?

NDC means Neglected Diseases Collaboration. The members on this platform cooperate in order to diagnose patients who are suspected of having a Neglected Disease. NDC includes Rare Diseases and Underdiagnosed Diseases under the category Neglected Diseases. Diseases that are well known in some parts of the world may be rare in other countries. They may be unrecognized for a long time, like rare diseases. Therefor a collaboration between doctors worldwide is needed to shorten the patient's diagnostic period.

Why should I join NDC?

Doctor, are you having trouble accurately diagnosing your patient for a long time? Have you tried different methods, treatments, and medications while nothing seems to be making your patient feel better? Have you sent him to several different specialists and they found nothing? Well then, you have come to the right place. We offer a shorter and faster route to getting an accurate diagnosis in difficult children's cases. Here you will find many doctors who are brilliant and devoted to helping their patients- just like you. Collaborating with each other is the key to succeed in patient diagnosing. Doctor, you are not alone. We are all on the same boat!

How would I know if my patient's case is suitable for such a platform?

You can present your patient here if he/she is a minor who might be suspected of having a neglected disease due to unordinary symptoms, complex case, genetics, previous misdiagnosis, or a long period required to decipher the patient's illness.

What is the problem NDC is helping to solve?

The average time period required for diagnosing rare diseases (from the first symptoms until identifying the illness) is significantly long compared to the standard diagnose period for other diseases. A patient spends approximately 4.8 years, meets 7 different doctors, and receives 2-3 misdiagnosis until he gets an accurate diagnosis. Rare/Neglected diseases are a prominent problem in developed countries as well as in developing countries. While a specific rare disease affects a small percentage of the population, there are over 7000 different types of rare diseases, with an estimated amount of 350 million rare disease patients worldwide.

What is NDC's goal and mission?

NDC's goal is to help doctors diagnose patients with all types of Neglected Diseases from all over the world quickly and efficiently. Our mission is to shorten the average time period required for diagnosing Neglected Diseases from several years to months, weeks, and even days. Thereby saving doctors valuable time, money, and energy and helping to reduce their patient's health damage and increasing their longevity.

What is NDC's vision?

Creating an international cooperation of doctors specializing in the field of rare/neglected diseases, that know how to present and analyze cases successfully. The corporation will be named Neglected Diseases Collaboration. Basically it will be like an online Concilium of the best doctors in the field from all over the world working on diagnosing a patient and exceling at it.

Can I present a case of an adult patient?

In its first stage, NDC will focus on undiagnosed children, who are prominently affected by neglected diseases. 5000 out of 7000 rare disorders are amongst children. Many rare diseases appear early in life, and about 30% of children with rare diseases will die before reaching their fifth birthday. In the near future, NDC will open its gates to presenting undiagnosed adult patients as well as children. However, many of the knowledge gathered on NDC platform about children can also be useful for a doctor handling an undiagnosed adult patient case since many of these illnesses are throughout the patient's entire life.

How is NDC different from other medical crowdsourcing platforms?

NDC's method eliminates the common use of probability in diagnostic assumptions. NDC relies on direct identification of an illness by another doctor who is a crewmember of NDC. Plus We…

♦ FOCUS only on diagnosing difficult cases so your question doesn't get lost in an ocean of irrelevant topics.

♦ Promote high quality presentations (rich with info) of patients for a quicker solution.

♦ Promote efficiently active users- boost their cases and reward their profiles

Why should i NOT be anonymous?

Here in NDC we truly appreciate the time and effort you put into diagnosing your patient, or help others reach a diagnosis. NDC system identifies active physician users that know how to present and analyze cases successfully. These doctors will be chosen to become officially honored members of the Neglected Diseases Collaboration. These doctors will be rewarded for their work and promoted by the site as experts in Neglected Diseases. Patients worldwide seeking for a diagnosis in complex cases could hire the recommended services of a doctor in the NDC's elite group.

How does NDC make sure its members are really Medical doctors?

Credibility means everything. That's why NDC administration authorizes the platform use solely to physicians qualified to work in their country of origin. In the registration process, the doctor must fill his personal details and upload documents required for identification and assuring that he is a registered physician in his country.

Do I need to pay for NDC membership?

Subscribe now for FREE! At its first stage, NDC will be free of charge for physicians.
NDC activity is based on using points that are called Coins. To understand how it works, read more about it in our points policy.

What if I didn't confirm any of the diagnosis I received?

In case the first assumptions round doesn't have a clear result, there will be an Onboard Discussion to help reach a final diagnosis. In this stage, the discussion will be closed only to crewmembers invited by the presenting doctor- Captain of the diagnostic odyssey. It can be authors of the previous round's diagnostic assumptions, participants of Q&A stage (Primary Discussion), specific doctors, or open to everyone- it is the captain's call.

Unlike the 1^st round where only the presenting doctor sees the assumptions, The Onboard Discussion is viewed to everyone invited in it. It is similar to a concilium of chosen doctors, working on diagnosing a child patient. The presenting doctor must first publish all diagnostic assumptions that has been received so far, and their explanations. Based on all gathered information, Crewmembers of this round may submit new diagnostic assumptions (cost-100 virtual coins per assumption), and continue to Diagnosis Verification stage until reaching the final diagnosis.

Still didn't get the right diagnosis in NDC? Share your disappointment with us!
It is important for us to improve our crowdsourcing.

If I want to suggest a diagnostic assumption, why am I required to privately send it to the presenting doctor?

One of the main flaws of a public discussion is group pressure of the majority on a single participant. This type of pressure can neutralize its most important virtue - a wide range of opinions and a possibility to reach an uncommon, unique solution. This advantage is crucial especially in rare diagnostics, where a right solution can be suggested only by a few physicians. To prevent this phenomenon of group pressure, Delphi method was developed for forecasting (1959). It's most important principle is to keep your opinion secret from other discussion participant at the first deliberations round. This allows each participant to free their imagination, providing a wide range of diagnostic assumptions. However for every good side there is a bad side. Too much freedom of mind can prompt assumptions that are far from reality. Accordingly, the next step of Delphi method is revealing all different suggestions to all the participants of the first discussion round. The purpose of this open discussion will be to revise the assumptions, and find the common denominator between all of them. This will help reach the final diagnosis.