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/643539
At the American Society of Cosmetic Physicians 10 th Annual Conference in October, Jeff Segal, MD, advised physicians how to manage their online reputations and respond to negative reviews. If you know who the patient is (and they are identifi able), it is impera- tive that you reach out to them privately—publicly responding and outing them as your patient is a HIPAA violation. By reaching out to the patient, you have an opportunity to de-escalate the situation, and you may be able to turn a negative experience with your practice into a positive one. Dr. Segal recommended that doctors make a point of letting the patient know that regarding the review, "it is a request, not a demand" that they remove or update it if their concerns have been addressed. If you do not know who the patient is, use the review as an opportu- nity to publicly explain your practice philosophy and assure the writer that you are taking their criticism seriously. Overall, Dr. Segal noted that, "the solution to pollution is dilution." Encourage satisfi ed patients to leave positive reviews on numerous review sites, not just Yelp. If your practice has a wealth of positive online reviews, prospective patients will be able to overlook one or two negative ones. When purchasing new devices, practices often rely on their sales representa- tives to help estimate costs and calculate potential return on investment, but the numbers offered by your device manufacturer's proforma is not telling the entire story, said Karol Gutowski, MD, during his presentation on "Adding a Device to Your Practice: Cost vs. Benefi t" at the 2015 meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). To get the full picture of costs to the practice, he recommends creating your own business plan that includes: • Cost of the device • Cost of consumables • Marketing costs • Revision treatment costs • Space and overhead expenses (including staff salaries) • Lost procedure costs (if the device replaces an existing treatment option) He also reminded practice owners not to expect a return on investment within the fi rst year of ownership and that it is vital to read up on all regulatory and liability issues relating to the new device and treatments offered. Purchasing New Equipment Responding to Negative Reviews BEST PR ACTICES © GETTY IMAGES 8 MARCH 2016 | Med Esthetics In an article published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery (November/December 2015), Steven H. Dayan, MD, and Nazanin Ashourian, PhD, posit that plastic surgeons should examine kinetic models vs. static images to achieve more natural-looking cosmetic procedure outcomes. For example, too much fi ller in the cheek can interfere with the patient's smile— something that is easily identifi able when looking at a patient's face in motion. Dr. Dayan and Ashourian note that successful outcomes should naturally improve the patient's appearance at rest and in motion, and to that end physicians benefi t from using video as well as photo- graphs when adding volume, injecting neurotoxin and selecting the right procedures. They recom- mend taking video of patients making a number of facial expressions and even reading aloud in an effort to understand how their faces move. "Considering that all human interactions happen in a kinetic, 3-dimensional space, it is of the utmost importance that the 3-dimensional and movement aspects of the face are considered in any cosmetic procedure," they wrote. "By using video record- ing to realign the parameters of success beyond the limited dimensions of form and function and to include mind and mood, we may evolve our fi eld for the next generation." Considerations for Achieving a Natural Look