From the editor
From the Editor
Dr. Schwarzenberger is the former physician editor of DermWorld.
By Kathryn Schwarzenberger, MD, September 3, 2018
I have learned many new things from the past few editors of Dermatology World. This edition is no exception. I know much more about microneedling than I did before reading Emily Margosian’s fabulous article. In full confession, I will admit that I have yet to fully embrace the use of platelet-rich plasma, and despite my good friend Tina Alster’s optimistic comments about the benefits of microneedling, I probably won’t be doing it anytime soonHowever, I am delighted to be better able to counsel my patients who may benefit from it.
This and recent conversations with some of my students and residents got me thinking about how much the practice of medicine has changed since I started this journey several decades ago. When I signed up for a career involving “lifelong learning,” I knew I would spend a lot of time assimilating new knowledge. What I failed to fully appreciate years ago is that learning new things is easy; letting go of “old” knowledge can be very difficult. This affects our practices, as we are encouraged to change our medical “habits” to incorporate new scientific findings for the good of our patients. It can be hard to change the way you do things, particularly if you believe your present practice has good results. However, I’m sure our distant predecessors thought bloodletting was good medicine. Few of us still rely on the old “tar and feather” Goeckerman regimen for management of widespread psoriasis. Some of our colleagues are still hesitant to remove pigmented lesions with shave technique, despite good studies showing that this may be the best way to remove many of them. I suspect future dermatologists will shake their heads at us, wondering how we could have thought some of our practices were sound.
I’ve been around long enough to have changed my way of thinking about many things in medicine (my residents still can’t imagine that we didn’t know that AIDS is caused by a virus). I am grateful to the AAD that has served as my primary educational go-to over the years, through meetings, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, and other resources. We at Dermatology World are committed to helping in this educational mission. I like to say that JAAD teaches you the “what,” whereas DW delves deeper into the “how and why” of things.
Here are 10 “how and whys” you can learn about in this month’s DW:
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Using a comprehensive series of allergens in patch testing greatly increases your chances of finding a relevant positive answer. Learn more about how to do it right.
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Regarding telemedicine, many states have coverage parity, but fewer have payment parity. What about your state?
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Will a trust protect your financial assets? Perhaps, if it is the right kind.
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Why can’t I get lidocaine with epinephrine, and what is being done to address this critically important issue?
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See what one dermatology department has done to improve access to care in their safety net hospital.
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Have you considered hiring a dermatology coder for your practice? Feel they are too expensive? Perhaps after reading this article, you might believe you can’t afford NOT to hire one.
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Intrigued by microneedling and want to know more? We can help!
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I just did a complete skin exam. Will my note justify my coding?
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What labs should I order for my patients on isotretinoin?
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Is that prescription you write for post-op surgical pain contributing to the opioid crisis? It might be.
