From the editor
From the Editor
Dr. Schwarzenberger is the former physician editor of DermWorld.
By Kathryn Schwarzenberger, MD, August 1, 2018
Don't miss this edition of Dermatology World. Summer is almost over and, hopefully, you are taking a little time for yourselves and family before the long days start getting shorter. However, I encourage you to spend a few minutes with us, as our staff and writers have pulled together some fabulous articles that may help optimize the business side of your practice.
Do you have a practice manager? If not, should you have one? Our feature article may help you decide. A good practice manager today fulfills many diverse roles and can be a key element in the functional and financial success of your practice, whether you are in solo practice, an organization, or even academic practice. Learn about qualities of a good manager and make sure the one you hire is the right fit for your practice.
Malpractice is a topic we all hate to think about; however, it is best addressed proactively. Remember your Mom’s old saying about “an ounce of prevention...?” As always, Mom was right, even if she wasn’t talking specifically about malpractice insurance. Malpractice insurance is here to protect you and your assets. Make sure you understand your policy and that you have adequate coverage for your needs. Are you leaving your practice and, if so, do you need tail coverage? If you don’t know — or if you don’t even know what this is — I recommend reading Ruth Carol’s very informative article, which includes a very clear, yet detailed description of the different facets of malpractice insurance. Also make sure to consider the other insurance needs of your practice, including liability coverage. Your carrier may offer risk management services, including educational opportunities about a variety of related topics, including cybersecurity and HIPAA compliance. See what your insurance carrier has to offer.
In the spirit of “being prepared,” you may also want to read what Cliff Lober has to say about advance directives. As dermatologists, we have not traditionally been in the position of helping our patients make these important decisions. However, it is important that all of us who provide care ensure that our patient’s care wishes are known and that we follow them to our best extent. And, since all of us at some point will be a patient, we may wish to ensure that we have addressed these issues personally.
We wrap up this edition with a great article highlighting the wonderful advances in the understanding and management of atopic dermatitis. In the past 10+ years, biologics have revolutionized the management of psoriasis. Now atopic dermatitis is in the spotlight. Several new and exciting treatments are in use, including the IL-13/IL-4 inhibitor dupilumab, and other novel treatments are in the pipeline. I am personally excited about Janus kinase inhibitors, which I have already been using to treat eczema — in my dog. Oclacitinib, a JAK 1inhibitor, was approved by the FDA for management of canine atopic dermatitis in 2013. My old dog, Sunshine, has itched for several years (no doubt in part due to his cat allergy), so we recently started him on therapy. I’m happy to say his itching has improved and we have been able to retire his “cone of shame.” We still, however, have the cat...
