The idea for SharePractice evolved from a collaborative study effort that co-founder Dr. Andrew Brandeis and his colleagues used during medical school.
It consisted of a cloud-connected Dropbox folder that he and his colleagues could contribute information to regarding everything from symptoms to treatment options. This seemingly simple Dropbox account soon became a medical treasure trove, housing thousands of documents from a wide net of doctors. Inspired by his patients in Silicon Valley, most of whom knew how to code, Brandeis knew he could build a more constructive way for other doctors to contribute to and access this information.
Fundamentally, SharePractice is this same concept except in app form. After a doctor makes a diagnosis, the next step is, naturally, treatment. SharePractice serves as a quicker alternative to consulting with a reference book or other doctors to determine the best treatment without interfering with their workflow. Similar in a sense to communities such as Reddit, the community informs the content — what SharePractice provides is real experience contributed by respected doctors. Every treatment is ranked by up-voting or down-voting, with greater weight given to doctors who are contributing popular treatments more often than others.
What separates SharePractice from competitors such as Epocrates? Brandeis and COO Zach Bell emphasize both the collaborative and social elements of the app. Doctors are able to follow other doctors as well as particular treatments and diagnoses.