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Dr. Bill's practice sees more than 1,000 patients a week, most covered by some version of medical insurance. The practice outsourced its billing to a billing company, which takes a small percentage of each paid patient bill as its method of payment. Recently, a disgruntled patient sued Dr. Bill, alleging illegal fee splitting.

Traveling abroad on medical missions poses inherent challenges. But dermatologists who have made such trips year after year say the positives far outweigh the negatives.

A recent study appears to have identified a drug that promises to dramatically improve survival rates in melanoma patients. Ahead, however, lies the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process and still more research on what some are already hailing as a wonder drug: ipilimumab.

Nail diseases are an important component of any dermatologist's practice. In many cases, treatment of nail conditions is difficult, as penetration of topical medications through the nail plate is challenging. Light therapy, which is able to travel through tissues and focus on specific targets without damage to surrounding normal skin or nail, would be a welcome option in the therapy of any nail disorder.

All physicians are familiar with the concept of the Hippocratic Oath, a 2,500-year-old promise to uphold professional ethical standards. I have not reviewed the oath since I recited it at my graduation from medical school in 1985, but it came to mind as I faced a monthly red budget statement despite a full-capacity schedule with limited staff support, and low Press Ganey satisfaction scores about lengthy waits for appointments and service.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) may be out of the public eye, but curing these unseen epidemics requires ongoing research, says an expert who spoke at the 2010 annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.

While dermatologists and other physicians who serve Medicare patients have been given a reprieve until Nov. 30 from the 21.3 percent payment cut that had gone into effect in June - and were also given a 2.2 percent increase - there is more bad news to come, unless Congress gets rid of the current mechanism for setting rates.

Sixty thousand new cases of invasive melanoma are diagnosed each year, and depending on the severity, many patients stand a chance of those malignancies recurring in the following five or 10 years or beyond. On Call asked dermatologists around the country about their approach to follow-up care for their melanoma patients.

Results from a multicenter, randomized, phase 3 clinical trial represent a landmark in research for metastatic melanoma because they are the first ever to show an experimental agent significantly improving median and long-term overall survival in previously treated patients with unresectable stage III/IV disease, reported Steven O'Day, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology.

For many pregnant women, their bellies aren't the only things popping out during their nine months of gestation. Skin eruptions can plague expectant women any time during pregnancy. While some dermatoses can be simply uncomfortable, others can pose a risk to the unborn fetus.

As teledermatology gains acceptance throughout the healthcare field, dermatologists must ensure that they and their residents are comfortable with this technology, according to one expert.

A 1,444 nm Nd:YAG lipolysis laser (AccuSculpt, Lutronic) represents a safe and effective treatment modality known as laser-assisted facial contouring (LAFC), said J. David Holcomb, M.D., at 2010 Laser, the 30th annual American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery conference.

As women become more familiar and comfortable with the idea of a medication that can help give them the kind of lush, long eyelashes they've always wanted, physicians have increasingly found themselves prescribing Latisse (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution 0.03 percent, Allergan) and addressing eyelash issues previously dealt with primarily at the cosmetics counter.

What should you keep in mind when preparing for a volunteer mission in a foreign country? Carrie Kovarik, M.D., co-director of the website africa.telederm.org and assistant professor, department of dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, offers several tips.

Galvanic skin devices generate low-voltage DC current. Galvanic current is produced when electrons flow from a higher potential to a lower potential. Galvanic current has been used for years by æstheticians in anti-aging skin treatments to change the electric potential of the skin.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has named global leadership and volunteerism as two of its strategic initiatives for the next five years, according to Wingfield Rehmus, M.D., chairman of the AAD's Education and Volunteers Abroad Committee.

New findings from research investigating the use of infliximab (Remicade, Centocor) in patients with psoriasis provide further evidence of the value of this potent TNF-alpha blocker as a therapeutic option.

When he was launching the laser program at New York University Medical Center, Roy G. Geronemus, M.D., made sure to have the cutting-edge technology of the time: an argon laser to treat port wine stains, venous malformations and telangiectasias. Soon after, NYU was among the first centers in the country to offer the CO2 laser, touted then as the new approach for removing benign skin lesions.

Dermatology practices across the country report a higher percentage of missed appointments than in the past. You may consider appointment no-shows a nuisance, but patients missing appointments may have a greater impact than you or your staff realize. Every appointment no-show is a revenue drain and a missed opportunity to contribute to your bottom line.

A prognostic assay, expected to be available to practices in late 2010, helps to predict melanoma recurrence risk in some of the hardest-to-predict melanoma cases - those patients who qualify for sentinel node biopsy but have negative nodes, according to a new study.

Oral contraceptives can be prescribed as adjuncts to therapies such as topical retinoids or oral isotretinoin to treat acne, and it is up to clinicians to inform their patients of any risks in taking systemic hormonal treatments.

The 2010 annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology was the forum for the first public presentation of data from the Psoriasis Longitudinal Assessment and Registry (PSOLAR), a multicenter, Phase 4 observational study sponsored by Centocor and mandated by the FDA when the regulatory agency granted approval of infliximab (Remicade, Centocor) for the treatment of chronic severe plaque psoriasis.

The idea of hair loss may be off-putting to both genders alike, but for women, female pattern hair loss may be particularly unsettling - and entirely unexpected - despite the fact that as many as 40 percent of American hair loss sufferers are female, according to the American Hair Loss Association.

National report - Decreasing levels of estrogen in menopause are linked to effects on the skin, such as increased skin laxity, wrinkling and poor wound healing, prompting research targeted at topical administration of estrogens.

Recognizable, but not always easily diagnosed, is lichen sclerosus et atrophicus. Occurring more often in prepubescent girls and postmenopausal women, and believed to be an autoimmune disorder, LS presents as white, shiny, atrophic patches and plaques with an erythematous halo.

There is little doubt that every physician in the U.S. has an opinion on the recent healthcare legislation and its impact on medical care in this country. What is less clear is whether or not most physicians understand the tax ramifications of the new law.

Over the last few years, many physicians have re-examined not only their investment assumptions, but also their relationships with investment advisory professionals. Declines in market values, like the recent 40 percent drop, often cause investors to rethink their investment strategies.

International report - Robert E. Kalb, M.D., made giving back a family adventure four years ago, when he, his wife and two college-aged children took their first medical mission trip with Health Volunteers Overseas to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Bridgewater, N.J. - Results of a new study suggest that atopic dermatitis may increase the risk of cancer, including melanoma, Reuters Health reports.

Washington - President Barack Obama has signed a bill that delays until Dec. 1 a previously approved 21 percent cut in Medicare payments, the Associated Press reports.