Scleroderma

The Scleroderma Foundation has teamed up with Austin, TX company, Traitwise Incorporated, to launch a unique survey to poll thousands of scleroderma patients and their caregivers. Data from the survey will be shared with researchers nationally and internationally in an effort to improve understanding and treatment of scleroderma.

By gathering answers about everything from symptoms to family history of disease to quality of life - and then comparing every answer to every other answer - the survey mechanism promises to tease out previously unsuspected patterns that can lead to new diagnostics, treatments, and even a cure for this chronic autoimmune disease that afflicts approximately one in every thousand people.

"As common as it is and despite the heroic efforts of clinicians and researchers, scleroderma still isn't well understood," said Scleroderma Foundation CEO Robert Riggs. "The Traitwise survey gives us a chance to assemble and analyze more pieces of the puzzle and really move research forward."

The unique Traitwise approach to data security allows users to volunteer information without fear that the information will be shared or used to identify them. Once it's made anonymous, data will be made available to researchers through the Scleroderma Foundation. "We understand that the information we seek is sensitive and personal," said Executive Vice President Michael Simpson of Traitwise. "So we answer every user's privacy expectation with an iron-clad commitment to protect their personal information."

Source: MMD Newswire