Dermatology Weekly

In this edition of the “Peer to Peer” audiocast series, Dr. Vincent DeLeo speaks with Dr. Philip D. Shenefelt about the nocebo effect and how it can affect dermatologists’ interactions with their patients. Dr. Shenefelt explains that the nocebo effect, which is the converse of the more widely known placebo effect, leads to adverse treatment outcomes that may occur based on negative beliefs of both patients and physicians. He offers tips for physicians regarding how to speak to patients without encouraging negative expectations or beliefs that could possibly impact treatment.

In this edition of the “Peer to Peer” audiocast series, Dr. Vincent DeLeo speaks with Dr. Jashin J. Wu about adalimumab for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Dr. Wu reviews the specifics of the approval of adalimumab for HS, including dosing information. He also discusses his own treatment algorithm for managing patients with HS. Finally, Dr. Wu speculates on future targets for current biologics that already have been approved for other indications.

In this edition of the “Peer to Peer” audiocast series, Dr. Vincent DeLeo speaks with Dr. Susan C. Taylor about hair and scalp disorders in patients with skin of color. Dr. Taylor discusses the causes of common conditions that dermatologists may see in patients with skin of color, including central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia and pseudofolliculitis barbae, and offers tips for management and treatment. She also discusses how to approach parents of children with skin of color who present with concerns that their child’s hair is not growing.

In this edition of the “Peer to Peer” audiocast series, Dr. Vincent DeLeo speaks with Dr. Thomas D. Horn about the importance of the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process in improving the quality of care delivered in dermatology practices. Dr. Horn notes that MOC represents the best structure for physician self-regulation, which is crucial to ensuring the integrity of practice parameters within the specialty while avoiding third-party oversight. He also provides an in-depth explanation of how the MOC practice improvement and self-assessment modules are stuctured. Finally, Dr. Horn outlines some key changes in the MOC process that are pertinent to physicians.

In this edition of the “Peer to Peer” audiocast series, Dr. Vincent DeLeo speaks with Dr. Andrew F. Alexis about skin cancer mortality in patients with skin of color. Although malignant melanomas and other skin cancers are less prevalent in nonwhite racial ethnic groups, Dr. Alexis notes that the morbidity and mortality is worse in these patient populations. He discusses some of the reasons why this disparity exists, including low public awareness of skin cancer, differences in clinical presentation, low clinical suspicion among both patients and health care providers, and low access to specialty care among patients with skin of color. He also offers some tips as to how physicians can address and manage the increased risk for skin cancer mortality in this patient population.

In this edition of the "Peer to Peer" audiocast series, Dr. Vincent DeLeo speaks with Dr. Adam V. Sutton about patient satisfaction as an assessment of quality of care in dermatology practices. Dr. Sutton provides an overview of the results of a recent survey conducted in an urban dermatology clinic setting that evaluated patient demographics and how they perceived the quality of care that was delivered. He notes that satisfied patients are one of the best sources of referrals for a dermatology practice and therefore picking up on trends and making changes based on patient experiences may improve the overall outcome of a practice. He also offers tips for how dermatologists can improve their online profiles and respond more proactively to ratings and reviews from patients about their care experiences.

In this edition of the "Peer to Peer" audiocast series, Dr. Vincent DeLeo speaks with Dr. Cynthia L. Chen about the prescribing practices of US dermatologists regarding oral contraceptives (OCPs) for acne treatment. Dr. Chen describes the results of a recent survey that was used to collect data about the demographics and practice settings of dermatologists who prescribe OCPs in the United States as well as how their knowledge and beliefs about OCPs inform their prescribing practices. She also discusses the use of 4th-generation drospirenone-containing OCPs, which have been shown to be slightly more effective for acne than other combined OCPs but also are associated with an increased risk of venous and thromboembolic events. Dr. Chen also explains her process for prescribing OCPs for acne treatment, including how to discuss the effects of hormonal treatments with patients.

In this edition of the "Peer to Peer" audiocast series, Dr. Vincent DeLeo speaks with Dr. Dirk M. Elston about the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) and how to identify and manage skin manifestations of tick-borne diseases. He also asks about patient susceptiblity to delayed anaphylaxis associated with lone star tick attachment, which can be triggered by consuming red meat.

In this edition of the "Peer to Peer" audiocast series, Dr. Vincent DeLeo speaks with Dr. Susan T. Nedorost about using patch testing as a diagnostic tool for suspected drug eruptions. Dr. Nedorost discusses challenges dermatologists may encounter when using patch testing in cohorts that present with potential drug eruptions and describes settings in which this technique may be most useful for patients. She also emphasizes that drug reactions sometimes may be caused by the product's excipients, not the drug itself.

In this edition of the "Peer to Peer" audiocast series, Dr. Vincent DeLeo speaks with Dr. George Han about the dermatologist's role in treating psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Dr. Han shares his algorithm for evaluating psoriasis patients for signs of arthritis, including nail dystrophy and nonspecific persistent joint pain, and notes that dermatologists should enlist the help of a rheumatologist as soon as possible for a multidisciplinary approach to PsA treatment. He also discusses imaging for PsA and the use of methotrexate for disease management.