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SAN DIEGO -- An emphasis on more "adult-style" learning will bring more live-patient and hands-on education to the 2018 annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), which begins here today.

Live patient demonstrations will include several sessions on cosmetic dermatology procedures, such as augmentation procedures involving injectable neuromodulators. Limited enrollment in the sessions will allow small groups of dermatology to learn skills from experienced practitioners, some of whom are world-renowned experts in the field of cosmetic dermatology, said AAD scientific assembly committee chair Erik Stratman, MD, of the Marshield Clinic in Wisconsin.

"We're also excited about patient simulations, where actors will portray dermatology patients with specific concerns, which allows assessment of [clinician] communication skills, and where necessary, help build those skills," said Stratman. "The situations might involve an 'unhappy' patient, a patient with unrealistic expectations, or any number of other patient scenarios that we all find challenging."

The actors all have training in patient simulation and will stay in character throughout a simulated experience and then break from character to provide feedback about how a clinician interacted with the patient.

"Clinicians can find this sort of training valuable, as the simulated patients offer tips and advice about how to communicate effectively with patients, even during difficult circumstances," said Stratman.

Also new to the annual meeting, hands-on sessions involving cadavers allow dermatologists to learn surgical procedures from experts in the field. First-time program additions include sessions on scar revision, electrosurgery, laser and light therapy, and varicose veins and telangiectasia.

Continuing the educational transition, more of the traditional lecture sessions and symposia will include audience response opportunities, encouraging greater involvement and engagement with attendees. The feedback often will be incorporated into the learning objectives and process.

"Adult learning theory has taught us that adults learn better when they are more actively involved in the learning experience," said Stratman. "In addition, these sessions help participants quality for maintenance-of-certification credit."

The plenary session will continue the emphasis on contemporaneous issues in dermatology with separate presentations on quality-of-life (QOL) measurement in dermatology and physician burnout. Patient-related QOL increasingly will figure into assessments of quality of care. The presentation on physician burnout will include a review of data from a recent nationwide assessment of physicians, as well as a discussion of issues specific to dermatology, whose practitioners ranked high on the list of specialties affected by burnout.

"Burnout is one of the biggest issues affecting dermatology today," said Stratman. "We're not the most burned out, but we had the biggest increase in burnout in the latest survey."

Best-selling author , known for his writings about the humanistic side of healthcare, will deliver the plenary keynote address. His presentation will zero in on "this killer of physicians, which is burnout," covering physician wellness and the search for meaning in a professional life.

Another AAD tradition will continue on Saturday, as four sessions of late-breaking abstracts will take place over the course of the day. Two morning sessions will provide new data from clinical studies in procedural dermatology and basic science/pathology. Afternoon sessions will focus on major clinical trials and pediatric dermatology. Data from 10-12 studies will be reported at each of the 2-hour sessions.

Regular attendees of the AAD annual meeting will note the continuing presence of sessions and topics that traditionally have attracted attention and large audiences. As an example, multiple programs will focus on all aspects of psoriasis.

"I think dermatologists today are living in the 'golden age' of therapy for moderate to severe psoriasis," said Stratman. "There have been so many advances in the medication 'quiver of arrows,' if you will. for psoriasis."

"When you come to a meeting like this and watch how people 'vote with their feet,' the sessions on the common diseases that dermatologists see and the therapies to treat those common diseases, they always attract large audiences," he added.

Courses emphasizing practical aspects of dermatology practice -- clinical pearls, tips and advice, meet the experts -- always attract large crowds, and the program for this year's meeting will include numerous sessions to meet the informational needs of dermatologists.

Cost of care, specifically the cost of medications, has a prominent place in the program, as it has for several years. With regard to dermatology, the cost and access to medications often surpass availability of effective therapies as the predominant issue.

The AAD annual meeting will continue through Tuesday.

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