Above & Beyond the Prescription Pad: Practical Operational Solutions for Implementing Integrative Dermatology Care Plans

Complex dermatology patients often need more than a diagnosis and a prescription, and they are often underwhelmed and underserved by their interactions with conventional dermatology practices. These patients need a thoughtful, whole-person plan that accounts for medication access, adherence, lifestyle factors, comorbidities, and unique patient preferences. The very real operational constraints of modern day clinical practice present significant challenges to implementing these plans in a reliable, sustainable, and operationally manageable way.

In this 60-minute non-CME virtual Master Class, board-certified dermatologist Stephen Lewellis, MD, PhD, FAAD — founder of Above & Beyond Dermatology and host of the Above & Beyond Dermatology podcast — will use real-world case studies from his independent, integrative dermatology practice to explore how integrative dermatology principles can be applied to real world complex patient care in a systematic and sustainable way. The session will focus on practical strategies for implementing treatment plans that are clinically sound, patient-centered, and practical.

Attendees will learn how to combine conventional dermatologic therapies with integrative considerations such as nutrition, targeted supplementation, gut-skin and hormone-related factors, lifestyle support, and efficient care coordination despite the inherent complexity of this approach. The discussion will highlight how implementation of systems and strategic partnerships can reduce friction, frustration, and cost related to therapeutic access, affordability, and adherence.

This session is designed for dermatologists, advanced practice providers, and other clinicians and team members interested in delivering more holistic, personalized, and sustainable integrative care for patients with complex health challenges without losing their mind and their money.

Learning Objectives:

After attending this Virtual Master Class, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize clinical and non-clinical factors that contribute to complexity in dermatology cases, including inflammation, comorbidities, adherence barriers, lifestyle context, cost, and access.
2. Describe how integrative dermatology principles can complement conventional diagnosis and treatment planning in patients with complex, chronic skin disease.
3. Identify practical solutions for incorporating whole-person considerations, including prescription medication access, targeted supplementation, nutrition, gut-skin and hormone-related factors, stress, sleep, and patient preferences, into integrative dermatology care plans.
4. Discuss workflow strategies and partnership models that can make complex dermatology care easier to implement in independent or high volume clinical practice settings.
5. Apply case-based reasoning to develop more patient-centered, accessible, and sustainable integrative care plans for complex dermatology patients.