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At Issue

Patient Safety

 Just as your dermatologic surgeon is an advocate for your health, the ASDSA strives to serve as an advocate for patient safety. Patients need transparent, unbiased information in order to make the choices that are best for their own health and safety. Transparency is at the heart of ASDSA legislative initiatives, which aim to protect patients from unqualified practitioners and dangerous procedures.

Patient Safety
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Patient Safety

To view the patient safety legislation ASDSA is tracking, click here.

 

Your safety is important to the ASDSA and we have committed a large portion of our advocacy efforts to our patient safety campaign. This campaign is a comprehensive effort to promote patient safety through legislation, regulation, education, and other opportunities. Navigating the health care field can be difficult and unqualified practitioners abound, making the process that much more difficult. The ASDSA strives to help patients make the right choices for their own health by promoting patient-focused initiatives in the following areas:

  • Truth in Advertising - Unqualified practitioners, hiding behind bogus or misleading credentials, are a threat to patient safety. By providing transparency in practitioner training and licensure, truth in advertising regulation allows patients to make informed choices for their own health and safety.
  • Practice of Medicine Defined - Ambiguities in the statutory definition of the practice of medicine can be exploited by unqualified practitioners to inappropriately justify their practice of various medical procedures. Patients deserve health care from properly trained and qualified health care professionals. Improving statutory definitions of the practice of medicine ensures that procedures requiring the expertise of a physician are only allowed to be performed by physicians.
  • Laser Procedures - Medical lasers can be safely used for a variety of medical procedures, but require the expertise of a qualified physician. The ASDSA advocates for laser procedures to only be carried out by a physician or under direct physician supervision, to ensure proper patient safety.
  • Dermal Fillers and Injectables - The use of dermal fillers and injectables are increasingly administered by non-physicians, unqualified to carry out these medical procedures. Significant complications can occur when dermal fillers and injectables are improperly administered. The ASDSA advocates for physician administration of dermal fillers and injectables.
  • Medical Spas - Recent history has seen an explosion in the number of spas offering cosmetic medical procedures in addition to non-medical cosmetic procedures. While many such facilities are properly administered and overseen by a qualifying physician, many are not. Transparency and on-site physician supervision helps to ensure that the medical procedures received in these facilities are safe for patients and consumers.
  • Mandatory Accreditation - Evidence does not support claims that accreditation improves patient safety, and does not reduce adverse events. Instead, it can harm the way that medicine is practiced through additional regulations.
  •  Corporate Practice of Medicine - Non-hospital facilities must be at least 51% physician-owned in the state where the physician is licensed. Medical decisions should be based on patient outcomes and quality of care. Physicians should provide appropriate onsite supervision, oversight, and training. Laws should provide adequate penalties for violating corporate practice of medicine bans.
  • Compounding Pharmacy - Following the outbreak of fungal meningitis found in contaminated products created at the New England Compounding Center, the ASDSA advocates for safer manufacturing processes to prevent contamination, and that such facilities have stronger regulatory oversight with regular safety inspections. As compounded pharmaceuticals are vital to ASDSA members' practices, ASDSA also advocates for preservation of bulk pharmaceutical orders for in-office use.
The ASDSA Patient Safety Campaign page also provides a host of resources for patients. These resources are designed to help patients find proper care best suited to their needs and avoid unsafe practitioners.