Five leading dermatologists share their thoughts about practice changes due to COVID-19
We asked five leading dermatologists: how has COVID-19 changed your practice and approach? Doctors Neal Bhatia, Omar Noor, Lindsay Strowd, Dhaval Bhanusali and Andrew Farberg discuss lessons from the pandemic and share their thoughts about which strategies will stay with us after COVID-19.
This discussion is part of the Galderma Experts Series in which we speak with world-renowned leaders in dermatology about patient care and practice management.
INTERVIEWER: Any changes that you made in your practice because of COVID-19 that you think will just stay forever?
DR. BHANUSALI: Changes I made because of COVID. Honestly, I practice how I want to practice now. You know, before, again, we follow this cadence in life that we're supposed to do this, this, and this. I spent some time thinking about what do I want to do?
DR. NOOR: COVID has changed I think everyone's lives, whether on a personal level or from a business perspective and a practice perspective.
DR. BHATIA: So the pandemic has taught us a lot about how to run a practice, which has been very interesting. Having patients coming in fewer, having them go to the waiting room in their car, if you will – we call it the new waiting room – and also being called in, having to wear a mask, obviously wash their hands, take their temperature coming in. Maybe these are some practices that might carry over a little bit
DR. FARBERG: I would say it has forced us all to have a little bit more empathy, and that's something I would much enjoy seeing to be carried on forward. Right? Every one of our patients that maybe missed an appointment, or some of our staff that are feeling a little under the weather, I think from the pandemic it became critical that we really had to have more empathy and really understand what all our patients and our staff are going through.
DR. STROWD: One of the things at our institution that changed with COVID-19 was the implementation of teledermatology.
DR. BHANUSALI: I think the pandemic showed us that we need to find that balance, all of us, and it's important to be mindful of things and to not overextend yourself. And I think finding that grace between and that balance between, how do you build your office in a way where you're not running around too crazy, building in some virtual visits, some convenience for patients.
And now you can find that happy place where you're doing what you're passionate about, you love what you do, and you're still able to sustain a practice that you're proud of.
