News

Organized medicine, including groups representing dermatologists, has long fought for medical liability reforms that would limit jury-granted noneconomic awards for pain and suffering and include provisions to keep frivolous (but potentially costly) cases out of court. Their pitch: Effective reform would reduce medical malpractice costs, including insurance, and make it possible for many physicians who can't afford skyrocketing premiums to continue their practices.

Rosacea is a fairly common inflammatory skin condition that can prove challenging to treat. Current therapeutic strategies empirically target the signs and symptoms of the disease, because the details of its pathophysiology have not yet been completely understood.

Recent trial data show that a new lower-dose regimen of imiquimod proves effective in the treatment of actinic keratosis (AK) and allows patients to treat much larger surface areas of clinical as well as subclinical lesions. Study results were recently presented at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Although recent vitamin D research suggests that higher vitamin D levels might improve some health outcomes, these data are largely inconclusive and sometimes contradictory, dermatologists say. Moreover, they continue to recommend oral supplementation rather than intentional sun exposure for those interested in elevating their levels.

Keeping good closures from going bad requires not only thorough patient education and surgical planning by the physician, but also patient adherence to pre- and post-surgical instructions, according to an expert who spoke at the 68th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

National report - Several new sun-protection products have recently entered the market, including sunblocks with increased SPF ratings, oral sunblock agents and sunscreens with antioxidants.

Cleveland - Three years ago, when a Cleveland Clinic colleague approached Allison T. Vidimos-Stultz, R.Ph., M.D., about whether any one of the 25 dermatologists in her local practice would want to go on a medical mission to Honduras, she replied, “Could I go?”

If you have any of your money invested in bonds - treasuries, corporates or municipals - you already know that the rules for buying and selling bonds are constantly changing.

As an attorney and a consultant to thousands of physicians across the country, we are constantly astounded by the attitudes of physicians regarding the sale of their medical practices. Most often, we hear the complaint that doctors do not feel they can sell their practice for any significant value.

London - Results of a new study suggest that people with vitiligo may have natural protection against skin cancer, BBC News reports.

Toronto - Results of several studies suggest that the new compound NT 201 improves treatment of blepharospasm and cervical dystonia by at least 25 percent, according to news source Docguide.com.

Barcelona, Spain - Doctors here performed what they are calling a successful face transplant on a Spanish man in his 30s, All Headline News reports.

Aliso Viejo, Calif. - Valeant Pharmaceuticals, based here, will acquire Vital Science Corp., a Toronto-based manufacturer of over-the-counter dermatology products, news source Socaltech.com reports.

Schaumburg, Ill. - The American Academy of Dermatology has announced the results of its election of new officers for terms to begin in 2012.

The Bottom Line : Derms cut back, but emphasize quality, as slow economy continues to pinch Tightening Tanning : FDA may reclassify sunbeds, set stricter limits on use by teens Special Report : Skin Cancer

When treating patients with undiagnosed eating disorders, early recognition of dermatologic signs improves prognosis and helps dermatologists avoid æsthetic treatments intended to address such patients' unrealistic perceptions, according to an expert.

Thorough planning provides the best approach to recognizing, managing and preventing complications when performing æsthetic procedures, an expert says.

Using confocal imaging (or reflectance confocal microscopy, RCM), the VivaScope (Lucid) is proving to be a useful tool in the differentiation and diagnosis of cutaneous lesions.

Because dog-ears behave predictably, physicians can use a structured algorithm to prevent, minimize and repair them when necessary, the algorithm's developer says.

The recession is reminding dermatologists about the importance of excellent service, savvy marketing and a personal touch, experts say. They share lessons for riding out the recession.

Credentialing a new doctor with third-party payers (including Medicare) is a tedious but necessary process. Even small mistakes can result in setbacks - even worse, application denials - all of which can rob dermatology practices of precious revenue, experts say.

Could e-prescribing be a boon to the operation of your practice? Or is it one more layer of bureauracy the federal government is trying to lay on physicians? On Call wondered whether dermatologists are using e-prescriptions, and if so, whether they actually like them.

Two of the most important insults the skin sustains are oxidation and glycation. Oxidative damage is the effect most familiar to the dermatologist, and it is caused by dermal protein damage from reactive oxygen species. Glycation is a second insult to the skin protein, and it is caused by the linking of sugars with dermal proteins.

Omaha, Neb. - A new treatment for actinic keratoses, known as PEP005, has completed two phase 3 trials which demonstrated that ingenol mebutate gel 0.05 percent, when used to treat actinic keratoses (AK) on the head and non-head locations, resulted in complete clearance of the lesions, when compared to vehicle.

While common allergens cause most contact dermatitis in women, finding the sources of these allergens often demands detective work, an expert says.

Recovery audit contractors are the government's hired guns to recover money from Medicare fraud and abuse. Dermatologists need to be ready for these potential audits by becoming familiar with the RAC process.

Just as patients are delaying or downsizing elective treatments, the economy is pushing dermatology practices to do more with less, sources say. From manpower to marketing dollars, practices are economizing while also seeking to maintain - if not improve - patient service.

Interim results from a five-year study of Artefill (polymethylmethacrylate/PMMA, Suneva) required by the Food and Drug Administration show that the product appears to be as safe as existing fillers for the nasolabial folds, a lead investigator says.

Although treatment for dysplastic nevi varies among dermatologists, these atypical moles are always biopsied, and then patients are followed closely to watch for melanomas, according to an expert.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel has recommended reclassifying tanning beds and setting stricter limits for their use by minors. But whether the FDA will adopt these changes remains unclear, say sources who attended a March 25 General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel meeting at which these and related manners were discussed.