MedEsthetics magazines offers business education and in-depth coverage of the latest noninvasive cosmetic procedures for physicians and practice managers working in the medical aesthetics industry.
Issue link: https://medesthetics.epubxp.com/i/123304
SUCCESSFUL DELEGATION "Get full information firsthand. Be really thorough. Your reputation and even your license may depend on it." regulations are being approved all the time. "Some state regulations allow physicians to delegate the operation of all lasers to qualified support staff onsite and don't differentiate between IPL devices and much more powerful lasers. In other states, physicians can delegate to different assistants based on whether the device is ablative or nonablative," says Andrea Nadai with Boston MedTech Advisors (bmtadvisors.com), a consulting company that researches legislation relevant to aesthetic medical practices and medical spas in all 50 states. "In a few states, regulations don't even mention lasers or other types of devices and rely entirely on general rules of delegation." She notes that some states do not consider laser hair removal to be a medical procedure and allow any qualified operator to perform it, while other states designate it a medical procedure subject to the same delegation rules that apply to other lasers. "In almost all states—New Jersey is one exception— physicians can delegate some procedures to some type of extender," says Nadai. "Where it gets tricky is the level of supervision—whether the physician must be onsite, for example, or whether the physician must examine the patient before the treatment. Requirements can be as stringent as constant onsite supervision or as lax as meeting with extenders once a month to review charts." Therefore it is important to do your homework. "Get full information firsthand," Nadai recommends. "Be really thorough. Your reputation and even your license may depend on it." Some experts recommend hiring an attorney to be sure your practice or medical spa is following all the rules. Boston MedTech Advisors works with practices to compile comprehensive regulations for any changes they might want to make, including the addition of a medical spa apart from their primary practice. This can entail looking not only at medical board regulations but a variety of state boards and departments. In Florida, for example, regulations governing laser hair removal reside with the State Electrolysis Board; in Texas you'll find them under the Department of State Health Services; and in Arizona the Radiation Regulatory Agency has jurisdiction. What happens if you get caught using an unauthorized person to perform a medical treatment? Penalties vary by state, just as the regulations do. In California, physicians can be charged with aiding and abetting the unlicensed practice of medicine, and the person performing the procedure can be charged with the unlicensed practice of medicine. California penalties for illegally operating a spa that offers medical aesthetic procedures were recently increased to a fine of $50,000 or more and imprisonment for up to five years. Training and Oversight Training requirements are part of the regulations in some states. However, in most cases physicians determine what kind of training their assistants need. Massachusetts requires anyone authorized to perform cutaneous procedures—even with nonablative devices—to have a certificate of training in laser physics and safety, as well as training by a nationally recognized and accredited continuing education program on the safe use and handling of a these devices. Resources like the Texas Laser Institute (texaslasers.com) and the National Laser Training Resources Here are just a few of the educational programs that offer training for physician extenders. The Esthetic Skin Institute (ESI), esiw.com Certification in chemical peels, microdermabrasion and laser, pulsed light and energy-based equipment for RNs, NPs and PAs 36 MAY/JUNE 2013 | MedEsthetics IMAj Clinical Aesthetics & Laser Training School, imajschool.org Both traditional aesthetic license training and comprehensive laser techinican certification; hands-on training in laser hair removal, RF skin tightening, IPL treatments, etc. The Laser Training Institute, lasertraining.org Hands-on training in aesthetic laser procedures for nurses, technicians and aestheticians. National Laser Institute, nationallaserinstitute.com CME and CEU training in laser hair removal, photofacials, tattoo removal and ablative skin resurfacing Texas Laser Institute, texaslasers.com Certification in laser hair removal, IPL treatments, tattoo removal, fractional laser treatments and more. © THINKSTOCK/COMSTOCK American Academy of Facial Esthetics, facialaesthetics.org. Training courses for healthcare professionals in laser skin treatments, microdermabrasion and chemical peels.