News

Dermatologists and other eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) can now review the upcoming meaningful use stage 2 requirements, now that the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services has announced its "final rule" for attestation of meaningful use (MU) stage 2.

Sensitive skin is really a marketing term that has no medical definition. It might amaze you to know that approximately 60 percent of consumers polled in a recent trends study consider themselves to possess sensitive skin.

A patient with complaints about Dr. Derm's medical assistant demanded a refund on his co-pay, then threatened to destroy the doctor's reputation online. The patient returned a week later with worsening cellulitis, Dr. Derm refused to see him. The patient later became septic and he filed a medical malpractice lawsuit. What did Dr. Derm do wrong?

Belotero Balance (Merz), one of the newer hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, appears to rival other longer-standing dermal fillers in efficacy and safety, offering physicians and their patients a new treatment option for the Aesthetic correction of moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, says Derek H. Jones, M.D.

Some of the continuing challenges central to the management of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) include improving the survival and prognosis of patients, as well as helping to make proposed treatments more affordable and accessible, says Elise A. Olsen, M.D.

The use of ultraviolet (UV) rays to dry nail polish can spell potential danger for patrons of nail salons, according to Joel Schlessinger, M.D., F.A.A.D., F.A.A.C.S., a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in Omaha, Neb.

Despite the number of currently available options for the treatment of actinic keratoses (AKs), dermatologists are still challenged by the occasional patient with widespread lesions refractory to multiple modalities.

If dermatologists considered the management of autoimmune blistering disorders from the patient's perspective, they might do many things differently. So says John Zone, M.D., co-director of the immunopathology lab at the University of Utah, where he is also chairman of dermatology.

The use of newer and more targeted chemotherapeutic agents can lead to atypical side effects affecting the skin, hair and nails of oncology patients, and these side effects can be different from those typically seen with longer-standing agents, says Beth N. McLellan, M.D., Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University, New York.

Daniel M. Siegel, M.D., is best known in dermatology as president of the American Academy of Dermatology. But this practicing dermatologist and faculty member at State University of New York Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn says he thinks of himself as a "techie guy."

With a dearth of data regarding nonsurgical treatments for lentigo maligna (LM) and lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM), current American Academy of Dermatology guidelines advise caution regarding these therapies, said James M. Grichnik, M.D., Ph.D., at the academy's 70th annual meeting.

The evolution of laser resurfacing has culminated in the ability to truly customize treatments, and the number and frequency of peels, the depth of dermal penetration, and the downtime each patient can dedicate to recovery should all be dialed into the treatment plan, say Jason N. Pozner, M.D., co-owner of Sanctuary Medical Aesthetics Center in Boca Raton, Fla., and Lawrence Bass, M.D., the head of Bass Plastic Surgery in New York.

If you're shopping for an electronic health record (EHR) system, tread carefully during the selection process, especially when it comes to signing the purchase contract. After all the sweat and stress involved with finding the "right" EHR solution, it's easy to let down one's guard as the selection process reaches conclusion.

Dose optimization, including appropriate use of a loading dose regimen, weight-based dosing and adherence to routine maintenance treatment, will maximize the benefits of biologic therapy for chronic plaque psoriasis. But if disease improvement seems less than optimal despite proper dosing, dermatologists should not to give up too soon.

Increased use of mobile technologies such as smartphones is spurring growing acceptance of - and reliance on - dermatology apps. Currently available applications for dermatologists provide reference tools (i.e. textbooks), and a few provide decision support based on information that a dermatologist enters into the application.

In certain cases, phototherapy may be the treatment of choice for patients with psoriasis, surpassing the benefits of even biologics, says Herbert Hoenigsmann, M.D., professor of dermatology, emeritus chairman, department of dermatology, Medical University of Vienna.

Laser resurfacing revolutionized the management of cutaneous photodamage ever since its introduction in the early 1980s. Initially, options were limited to fully ablative carbon dioxide (CO2) devices. Although results were impressive, the lengthy post-procedure downtime and substantial risks for infection, scarring and depigmentation drove the development of alternatives.

As the popularity of botulinum toxins for both cosmetic and therapeutic applications continues to grow, so too does development of new techniques and formulations. IncobotulinumtoxinA (Xeomin, Merz), the newest of the toxin formulations, is a promising product that according to clinical studies exhibits similar efficacy to onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox, Allergan), despite having a distinctly different biological makeup.

Maximizing practice efficiency requires analyzing personnel utilization, practice operations, systems and technology and real estate, says Jonathan S. Weiss, M.D.

As research continues to explore B cell autoimmunity, B cell-mediated therapies likely will pursue increasingly specific targets, says Arthur Kavanaugh, M.D.

Low-dose isotretinoin may be effective, with fewer side effects, when used to treat adult acne, results of a clinical trial presented at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology suggest.

Intradermal injections of a complex of proteins and growth factors stimulate hair follicles and may allow for hair regrowth, results of phase 1 and 2 trial data demonstrate.

Almost one in five NCAA outdoor athletes reports indoor tanning, according to results of a recent survey.

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery has elected new officers and members of its board of directors, the organization has announced. Those elected also will hold the same positions for the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association.

An investigative combination therapy combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy of adoptive cell transfer with tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, followed by interleukin-2, is labor-intensive but a feasible therapy with a high response rate in treated patients, according to researchers.

A range of psychosocial factors, such as perceived risk of developing melanoma, influence whether a person is likely to conduct skin self-exams, according to results of a recent study.

Researchers say a harmless virus that lives on human skin could be a plausible targeted approach to treating acne.

An unusual condition in which excessive growth of the scalp results in ridges and furrows resembling the brain’s surface has been demonstrated in a case study.

High consumer interest in cosmeceuticals and cosmetic procedures may seem to translate into excellent opportunities for revenue and practice growth, but establishing a successful cosmetic dermatology practice is not something that happens overnight, according to Michael Gold, M.D.

Advances in technology provide new opportunities for improving office efficiency and better patient care. But they also pose challenges to physicians seeking to take full advantage of these tools, said Amy Derick, M.D. at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.