Resources for Aesthetic Medicine Providers

The aesthetic medicine discipline continues to grow, and with it, an increasing number of medical practices that offer these services. However, resources and education for aesthetic medicine providers have not reflected the growing industry. There is also a lack of connectivity amongst providers as the current organizations and websites are not inclusive of one discipline, and/or do not include all prescribing providers. Resources designed to unite prescribing providers may aid in the lack of cohesiveness in the aesthetic medicine field. The primary goal for this scholarly project was to assess the current providers practicing aesthetic medicine in Idaho. The objectives for this project were: assess providers practicing in aesthetic medicine in Idaho, create a website for aesthetic medicine providers, and dissemination to fellow providers. The literature review for aesthetic medicine related issues lead to specific areas of focus. These areas included: the increase in nonsurgical procedures, growth in the number of aesthetic medicine providers, lack of education and regulation, and the dangers involved in the administration of neurotoxins and dermal fillers. The project was implemented utilizing the following steps. An IRB exemption was received, under exemption category 11. A telephone questionnaire was chosen as the data instrument. A search for Idaho aesthetic medicine practices was conducted. The search utilized "find a provider" on Allergan's website. A total of 58 medical practices were included. Twenty-four of the 47 practices participated in the survey (51% response rate). The results of the study showed that 58% utilize non-prescribing injectors (RN, aesthetician, surgical technician, and other staff). Forty-two percent of practices utilize prescribing providers (MD, DO, DNP, NP, or PA). Ninety percent of aesthetic practices credit the pharmaceutical companies for their initial training and continued learning. A website was created as a resource for providers. The website is titled "Aesthetic Medicine Resource (AMR)." The domain for the website is: www.med-aesthetics.org. The website includes links to relevant and current evidenced based articles. The site also contains a list of upcoming workshops and seminars. Aesthetic medicine is an area that is still in development. Future areas of research include: investigation into the supervision of non-prescribing injectors, regulations in each state, and areas in which regulations are not upheld or in place. Furthermore, providers are lacking unbiased and evidenced-based resources for their continued education and training.