Let's say that one of your patients comes in for a routine blood pressure check and, while chatting, they happen to mention an annoying skin tag on their back and ask for a referral to a dermatologist. Instead of automatically fulfilling their request, now is the perfect time to begin educating your patients on your ability to both diagnose and treat skin conditions.
- The skin is the largest organ of the body and skin cancer rates continue to skyrocket. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now determined that "skin cancer is the most common form of cancer here in the United States." Because of this, educating patients on the importance of annual skin examinations is vital. By providing visual body scans with a physician they already have a relationship with, more patients will be open to this form of preventative care.
- Medical concerns caused by excessive sun exposure affect all age groups and skin tones. No longer just a problem for the fair-skinned, dark-skinned patients can also develop skin cancers including melanomas. Other conditions leading to an increased risk of skin problems due to greater exposure to ultraviolet radiation would include:
- people with a great number of moles,
- individuals who have had numerous sunburns in the past,
- persons with a history of frequently using tanning beds,
- the very young or transitioning from middle-age to a senior citizen.
- Broadening your scope of service to treat skin conditions with desiccation or fulguration can benefit the practice as a whole and the patients as well, no matter the age of the patient.
- Having patients not return to the practice after being referred to another provider is always a concern for any practice. Incorporating simple skin care solutions and products into your practice can provide services that will both retain current patients and be a selling point for potential new patients. Obviously there are circumstances when a patient's health and well-being will necessitate a referral to another physician. But, offering a broad spectrum of in-office dermatological services can be one way to improve patient retention.
- Simple skin solutions for the family practice physician requires very little financial investment in additional equipment and supplies. The already established relationship between doctor and patient is an invaluable asset that can often take years to cultivate. Providing additional services which appeal to your entire practice can be one way to enhance your revenue stream.
Bovie Medical Corporation offers a wide range of state-of-the-art and leading edge technologies designed to treat patients suffering from skin conditions. The Bovie Derm 101 and the Bovie Derm 102 with Bipolar are two economically priced units specifically designed for the primary care practice. With either of them you can easily and quickly treat common skin conditions in-office without having to refer patients to another provider. Both units provide desiccation and fulguration with power adjustments up to 10 watts in 1/10-watt increments and can be operated with a foot control. The Derm 102 can also be used with a forceps type electrode for a bipolar application.
For simple wart removal, skin tags or raised keratosis, Bovie Medical recently developed the Freezpoint cryogenic device. It is a disposable nitrous oxide unit that is affordable, creates temperatures as low as -89º C, often requires no topical anesthesia and is safe for those patients with pacemakers.
For additional information on the Derm 101, Derm 102 with Bipolar, Freezpoint or any of our other durable surgical devices please call us at 1-800-537-2790 or internationally at +1-727-384-2323.
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