Shifting the balance: Flexible scheduling steadies patient load

Key Points

Miami - Being proactive is the best way to minimize the impact of the turbulent economy on a dermatology practice, experts say.

Dr. Bowes says offering more flexible scheduling, as well as treatment sessions with new cosmetic devices, has helped to keep her practice "quite busy" despite the economic turmoil.

"We've tried to enhance our medical schedule, because that is where we recruit patients for the cosmetic side," Dr. Bowes says.

Larger numbers of medical patients are now booking aesthetic visits, which helps to compensate for fewer strictly cosmetic patients, she says.

Dr. Bowes has taken other steps to keep her patients satisfied. In the fall, she hired a cosmetic treatment coordinator to check in with patients before and after treatments.

"I wanted to give very personalized attention to my cosmetic patients. Patients like that, and they refer friends and relatives," she says.

She keeps patients' wallet issues in mind when recommending product regimens.

"I might prescribe a more basic regimen of a retinol and an antioxidant," she says.

Disclosure: Dr. Bowes reports no relevant financial interests.