Whose recommending your aesthetic procedures?
December 2nd 2009 -
Learn about CACs
It is no surprising fact that the field of aesthetic medicine is seeing more and more patient/clients on an annual basis. This has become one of, if not the, fastest growing fields in medicine. With the exponential growth comes public confusion of exactly what aesthetic medicine is and with many new players hoping to take advantage of this market comes the dangers of an unregulated new industry.
Essentially aesthetic or cosmetic medicine involves the treating of non-disease issues, primarily of the skin, and the overall cosmetic appearance of patients, with “non” and or “minimally” invasive procedures. Usually this practice includes procedures such as: laser therapies, chemical peels, injectable fillers (i.e., Juvederm, Restylane), neurotoxin injections (i.e., Botox, Dysport), mesotherapy, liposuction, and spider vein removal just to mention a few. This contrasts to the general practice of dermatology which focuses on abnormal and disease issues of the skin and plastic surgery which specializes in very detailed invasive surgery to yield a desired cosmetic effect. Both these specialties usually also perform aesthetic medical service as an adjunct to their primary services. The aesthetic office should present itself as medical office yet having a non clinical feel. This allows it’s clients to feel confident in medical hands yet relaxed in an environment that is not catering to disease states and working with insurance companies (there is generally no insurance accepted in an aesthetic practice). The office should meet medical standards of being immaculately clean, well run, professionally attired staff and a goal of premier customer service.
The quality of the aesthetic office is set by the physician medical director in charge. Any licensed medical doctor can serve as a medical doctor so it is important to find out; who the director is, what is his/her training is in the field and most importantly where is the physician, is this their fulltime practice, are they there only certain days, who will see you if there is a problem. Believe it or not some directors are on paper only, they do not participate in the daily operations of the center (they may have practices miles away or even out of state!). We generally go on the assumption that the procedures recommended and advice given by the physician during their consultation is based on their training, education, experience and ethical desire to help the patient. On the other hand usually it’s an employee that greets the clients, performs the evaluation and consultation, recommends therapies and may perform the non invasive procedure. It’s the recommendation of the consultant that determines what procedures the clients will undergo. This is where the regulations are lacking. Right now there are no official criteria that specifies who can perform the above duties, particularly the consultation. Questions to consider are what training do they need, what education, what supervision level is needed, have they passed any proficiency testing to receive a certificate in their field? Remember that non-invasive does not equate to safe. These centers are using medical grade lasers and chemicals that are potentially very dangerous and can leave long term adverse effects if not performed by qualified, professional staff on intelligently selected appropriate candidates.
In an attempt to initiate the self regulation of the industry an organization has stepped up to the call. The Aesthetic Practice Association (TAPA) is that organization. In their own words they are “a community of physicians, aesthetic extenders and office staff devoted to enterprise growth and professional development. The vision of TAPA is to be the leading association for the education and training of aesthetic practitioners worldwide, by offering an exceptional certification program that creates successful and competent leaders who follow ethical business practices. Regardless of medical sub-specialty or educational background, TAPA provides a professional organization with numerous benefits and services designed specifically for medical aesthetic professionals, including: physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and all aesthetic extenders. Our focus is to create successful and competent individuals through personal and professional growth and to see this improvement manifest itself in practice success”.
Though the organization is still in its infancy it has thousands of members already. Recognizing the need for self regulation one of TAPA’s first projects was to develop and launch the Certified Aesthetic Consultant (CAC) certificate course. In a survey of more than 2,000 TAPA members respondents identified the need for increased staff training as a critical challenge. They also noted (by a 5 to 1 margin) that they would be more inclined to hire an individual with a CAC degree versus a candidate without certification. The Certified Aesthetic Consultant™ program is the industry’s first systematic, comprehensive approach to helping staff members gain core competencies in areas that are critical for practice success. The purpose of the CAC program is for the standardization, delivery and certification of competence for a category of provider called a Certified Aesthetic Consultant (CAC). Drawn from diverse backgrounds, and labeled by varying names, the individual who has mastered the art, science and business of medical aesthetic practice management and patient consultation is a person in high demand. The CAC certification is open to all aesthetic professionals. These include physicians, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, aestheticians as well as front and back office staff. The Certified Aesthetic Consultant™ (CAC) program consists of a full curriculum of online modules, webinars and in-person workshops as well as the CAC exam.
To certify as a CAC applicants must complete a syllabus of online courses that includes four major areas of necessary competence. Basic science – skin structure and aging, energy sources and lasers, interactions of energy based devices and skin, how lasers function, the differences in young and aging face, consultation and client service skills, marketing principles, and effective business practices. At the completion of the syllabus the applicants must take a comprehensive 100 question exam and achieve a score of 80% or higher to become certified. It is a motivated and dedicated professional and/or practice that complete the CAC course. There must be a commitment to excellence as the average fee to become certified is about $1150 per person and requires a substantial time commitment.
Although not the complete answer for industry self regulation it is a healthy start to provide a higher level of safety and excellence to the public seeking aesthetic care. It sets serious medical practices apart from those that may purely be entrepreneurial ventures that may be more concerned with profit margins than customer service, excellence in outcomes and generally accepted professional medical ethics and standards. So as you enter the exciting world of aesthetic medicine consider, for your safety and excellence of care, looking for an office that adheres to a higher standards, certifying and employing Certified Aesthetic consultants.
The author, Wayne Wertheim, M.D., is the full time medical director of Advanced Laser of Long Island located in Roslyn, New York. His office is one of the first in the country to have their full staff participate in both TAPA and the CAC program.
