There is an interesting article this week in the New York Times which explores the fact that dermatology has become a two-tier business. One tier caters to the medical clients who haev always gone to dermatologists to cure problems like acne. The other tier caters to the cosmetic clients who come in for Botox injections and laser hair removal. The report suggests that the cosmetic patients are treated better and more quickly than the medical patients in some doctors' offices.
The example given in the article is probably extreme. It cites the case of a doctor who has separate phone lines and waiting rooms for medical patients vs. cosmetic patients and indicates that the care provided to the cosmetic patients is better than that given to the medical patients. The reason cited for this is that the cosmetic patients expect to be treated luxuriously whereas the medical patients do not. This is probably not common but it could be true that cosmetic patients tend to get better and quicker treatment to at least some degree because of the fact that they are paying out of pocket for procedures that allow them to demand extra attention.
Question of the Day: Do dermatologists treat their medical and cosmetic patients differently from one another?
