MedEsthetics—business education for medical practitioners—provides the latest noninvasive cosmetic procedures, treatment trends, product and equipment reviews, legal issues and medical aesthetics industry news.
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Physicians correctly place a lot of importance on their clinical skills in delivering optimal outcomes, but this is just one part of the equation. Patient education and shared decision-making strategies have also been shown to improve both patient satisfaction and treatment results. A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in March revealed that well-informed patients who received their preferred treatments had signifi - cantly better overall and disease-specifi c quality of life—across all topics—than those who did not experience informed, patient-centered (IPC) care. The study included 550 patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis, lumbar herniated disc or lumbar spinal stenosis. The patients were surveyed six months following treatment and asked about their treatment experience, quality of life, treatment regret and satisfaction. Providers who perform a signifi cant number of elective procedures tend to be ahead of the curve in understanding the value of patient education and shared decision-making. But as those providers also become practice owners, they may struggle with how to instill this same patient- focused philosophy in their employees. One way you can help your staff members improve—and better understand their role in—the overall patient experience is to create a set of behavioral standards that ensure team members and patients are entering an environment of kindness, respect and professionalism every time they enter your practice. In "Setting the Standard" on page 46, practice consultant David Waldron offers guidance on how to work with your team to develop and implement behavioral goals that support your desired practice culture. One of the greatest challenges in helping patients achieve the aesthetic outcomes they desire is a lack of compliance with home care. Sunscreen is one of the most powerful antiaging products available, yet few aesthetic patients have adopted daily sunscreen use. If you have been focusing on skin cancer and wrinkle prevention to encourage your patients to protect their skin from UV rays, a recent study showing that daily sunscreen use can actually reverse the signs of aging may be of interest to you. Turn to page 64 to learn more about what these researchers found and how it may aid in your patient education efforts. In some cases patients may become frustrated by the poor longevity of their favorite treat- ments. Thus, much of the emphasis in new product development—particularly in the arena of soft tissue fi llers and neuromodulators—has been on prolonging results. The recent FDA ap- proval of Juvéderm Vollure XC with its potential to last for up to 18 months is promising, as are on-the-horizon neuromodulators that aim to provide six months duration. In some cases, injectors are varying their doses of botulinum toxins in an effort to increase longevity of results, but is this appropriate? In "Modulating Expression" (page 36), we discuss new research on extending the longevity of neuromodulators as well as strategies to determine the correct dosing for each patient's anatomy and desired outcome. As products and techniques in the medical aesthetics industry continue to evolve, we look forward to sharing the latest advances with you. Wishing you all a happy and healthy summer. 4 MAY/JUNE 2017 | Med Esthetics EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD ihansen@creativeage.com ¥ 603.354.3291 e Patient Experience Inga Hansen Executive Editor/Associate Publisher EDITOR'S NOTE Mary Lee Amerian, MD Medical Director, Santa Monica Laser and Skin Care Center, Santa Monica, CA Bruce Katz, MD Director, Juva Skin & Laser Center, Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City Joel L. Cohen, MD Director, AboutSkin Dermatology and DermSurgery, CO Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology, University of Colorado, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, University of California - Irvine Michael H. Gold, MD Founder, Gold Skin Center, Assistant Clinical Professor, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN Mitchel P. Goldman, MD Medical Director, West Dermatology, Volunteer Clinical Professor of Dermatology, University of California - San Diego Jeannette Graf, MD Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY Lorrie Klein, MD Founder, OC Dermatology & Euro Day Spa, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, University of California - Irvine Vic Narurkar, MD Founder, Bay Area Laser Institute, Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology, UC Davis Medical School, Chief of Dermatology, California Pacifi c Medical Center, San Francisco Hema Sundaram, MD Director, Sundaram Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery Center Rockville, MD Alex R. Thiersch, JD Founder and Director, American Med Spa Association (AmSpa), Partner, ByrdAdatto Law Firm Chicago Wm. Philip Werschler, MD Director, Spokane Dermatology Clinic and Werschler Aesthetics, Spokane, WA