News

An oral phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor may offer significant improvement in signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, according to preliminary trial data presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Washington.

U.K. surgeons are reporting a dramatic rise in the number of complications due to nonsurgical cosmetic filler procedures.

Dermatologists can make small changes in their practices to improve the doctor-patient experience, according to Ranella Hirsch, M.D., a Boston dermatologist in private practice. By placing themselves in the position of the patient, physicians can evaluate the user experience and then make adjustments accordingly.

A patient’s experience has been shown to impact treatment adherence and outcome, says Charles Ellis, M.D., William B. Taylor professor and associate chairman, department of dermatology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor. Therefore, it’s in the patient’s best interest for dermatologists to measure patient satisfaction.

James A. Zalla, M.D., has affected the lives of countless patients during his 43 years of practice as a dermatologist and dermatopathologist. But what many dermatologists might not know is that Dr. Zalla has influenced their practices, too, by working for decades to help ensure fair payment for the specialty’s services.

Although the vast majority of children who present with a challenging eczematous eruption have refractory atopic dermatitis or poor medication compliance, clinicians need to perform a good history and clinical examination to rule out other underlying causes or comorbidities.

The etiology of rosacea isn’t completely understood, but the number of treatments that can temporarily block its symptoms is growing, says Guy F. Webster, M.D., Ph.D.

Whatever the medical indication, patients with a clinical history of jewelry or metal allergy who are scheduled to receive metal implants could benefit from patch testing prior to prosthetic device implantation, as the screening test can help identify a patient’s potential hypersensitivity to the implant chosen by the surgeon, says James Taylor, M.D.

Imiquimod shows promise for treating cases of melanoma in situ that aren’t amenable to surgery, and for other off-label indications such as metastatic melanoma, says M. Shane Chapman, M.D.

The decision to perform a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with melanoma requires considering many factors, including the patient’s input, says Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, M.D.

High-tech imaging modalities are helpful in detecting metastatic neural spread of tumors, a process known as perineural spread (PNS), and thus can be instrumental in better managing the patient, says Barton Lane, M.D.

You can take action to leverage social media in your practice without running afoul of HIPAA and hospital PHI policies.

At first, dermatologists seemed unlikely to be the subject of audits, but that is no longer the case. And it’s not only Medicare and Medicaid trying to recoup funds and find fraud - commercial carriers are as well. It’s a perfect storm for increasing medical audits at all types of physician practices - including dermatology.

New Haven, Conn. - Combining statins with kinase inhibitors may be effective for treating melanomas driven by RAS or BRAF genetic mutations, results of a recent study indicate.

Patients with vitiligo may have a lower risk for developing melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), according to findings of a recent study.

Zeltiq Aesthetics has secured a permanent injunction against a Florida doctor accused of misrepresenting his services.

Ranbaxy is launching its isotretinoin product for the treatment of acne, Absorica, in the United States.

At Cosmetic Surgery Forum 2012, nearly 300 dermatologists and others gathered to learn about everything from the latest advancements in laser and light technology to the best ways to invest money in your practice to defending your online reputation in this age of electronic media.

Genetic factors may help doctors improve their predictions of who will develop skin cancer, according to a study.

Once daily topical efinaconazole may be a reasonable alternative to treating onychomycosis, according to results of a recent study.

Eccrine sweat glands may play a role in wound healing, and a better understanding of this role may guide the development of improved therapies, researchers report.

A nutritional supplement that reportedly boosts the effects of botulinum toxin treatments is now available for purchase online as well as in physicians’ offices, according to a company report.

Maximizing the Money : Amid increasing competition, group purchasing and similar programs allow dermatologists to do more with less Anti-fraud campaign could trigger wave of audits, experts warn Clinical Dermatology : Systemic options for severe atopic dermatitis continue to present challenges Cosmetic Dermatology : Uncovering the truth about antioxidants and how they work Cutaneous Oncology : Clinicopathologic correlation weeds out mimickers of lymphoma Practice Management : Document your E/M services correctly to obtain optimal reimbursement

I am inherently skeptical of rules. But I also appreciate their potential value. Many rules are good and intended to ensure societal order, support justice and minimize error. I'm especially a fan of well-designed rules intended to control the strong personal gain incentive. But complex rules incorporate details that the devil loves to manipulate.

Accurately billing for dermatopathology services requires understanding the nuances of current procedural technology (CPT) codes, says David A. Mehregan, M.D. For starters, global pathology charge codes encompass the basic duties of a dermatopathologist, from receiving specimens and processing tissue to making slides and rendering a diagnosis.

As dermatologists face growing pressure to maximize revenues while cutting costs, the appeal of patient loyalty programs and group purchasing organizations (GPOs) is growing, experts say. In both areas, however, they advise choosing carefully.

There is no doubt that vitamin E functions as the primary antioxidant in the skin and vitamin C acts as a secondary antioxidant. This means that vitamin E donates an electron to a reactive oxygen species, but it cannot function again as an antioxidant until it obtains another electron to donate.

Considering both clinical and pathologic findings provides the key to properly diagnosing the many mimickers of lymphoma, says Antonio Subtil, M.D., M.B.A.

Documentation of your Evaluation and Management (E/M) service is one of the most challenging parts of the provider's day. It is, after all, one of the bread-and-butter services. Hopefully, many of you reading this are already on a quality electronic medical record (EMR) or getting prepared to transition to one soon.

Research continues to change and challenge dermatologists' understanding of rosacea, said Frank C. Powell, M.D., at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.