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.
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SUCCESSFUL DELEGATION Institute (nationallaserinstitute.com) offer a variety of courses ranging in length from a few hours to several days with certificates covering everything from laser hair removal to varicose vein treatments. (See "Training Resources" on page 36.) "Our assistants must have extensive overall training as well as device-specific training," says Dr. Kilmer. Often device-specific training is purchased along with the equipment and provided by the device manufacturer. Both Dr. Gold and Dr. Katz call for training well beyond a few hours with a manufacturer's expert. "Training is the most important aspect of utilizing physician extenders to their full potential," says Dr. Gold. "We begin with a thorough understanding of the device at hand and we make sure that each extender understands that individualized treatment is the most crucial aspect of our patient care. Most of the devices we use have built-in default settings, which are adequate for most patients, but we teach our extenders how to best use settings to achieve superior results." Training in his practice involves spending a great deal of time with him and also with the clinical trainers from the device companies. "This allows our team to learn all the nuances for each device used. We constantly review all of our treatment protocols to make sure everyone is using them appropriately in order to achieve the best results," he says. "You see extenders in every form of medicine. Our physician extenders are always licensed and well trained," says Dr. Katz. "Everyone wears a name tag which displays his or her credentials. As long as the patient is told beforehand that the procedure will be done by someone other than the doctor, most patients are fine with this. Often the PA or NP will be able to spend more time with the patient." In his practice, PAs and NPs must demonstrate their proficiency by working on staff members or family before working on patients. "Only when I am confident of their skills can they begin to treat patients," says Dr. Katz. "We have written protocols for every procedure we offer. Assistants must document the procedures they do in a log that I monitor. This way we don't have problems." Training assistants to keep medical charts is also important. "We require the same records for our aesthetic patients as for our medical patients," says Dr. Kilmer. Dr. Katz stresses that physicians must understand that assistants are an extension of their reputation. "Establish standards for your practice and make sure anyone working with you is properly trained and able to project the same professionalism you show your patients," he says. "Make sure each assistant projects the same values and skills you have used to make your practice work. One of our PAs has been with us for eight years, another for six and the NP for more than three." He regularly uses secret shoppers to get feedback on all staff members at every point of contact. "Without constant attention things can quickly become less than optimal," he says. "Best practices adhere to continuous evaluation and training." ME Linda W. Lewis is a contributing editor to MedEsthetics. 38 MAY/JUNE 2013 | MedEsthetics