title: Decision factors and the recognition of medical specialty in patients receiving cosmetic laser and intense pulsed light treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In addition to dermatologists and plastic surgeons, physicians of other medical specialties also provide cosmetic laser and light treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine the major decision factors in patients who received cosmetic laser or intense pulsed light treatment and how they perceived different medical specialties in providing such services.
  
  
  METHODS
  The method of factor analysis was adopted to extract the common characteristics (major decision factors) from a list of 17 items patients would regard as important when they planned to receive laser and intense pulsed light treatment. In addition, the level of recognition of different medical specialties in cosmetic patients was indirectly forecast using an analytic hierarchy process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Medical competence (0.3296) was the most important decision factor, followed by recommendation (0.2198), friendliness (0.1350), cost (0.1307), complete service (0.0984), and the physical attributes of the physician (0.0865). Dermatologists and plastic surgeons outscored cosmetic practitioners in five factors except for cost, in which the plastic surgeons were weakest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medical competence and recommendation are the core issues for cosmetic patients. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons gain better overall recognition than physicians of other medical specialties in cosmetic patients.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. tytzung@vghks.gov.tw
authors: Tien-Yi
authors: TY
authors: Tzung
authors: Ching-Ping
authors: CP
authors: Tzung
authors: Chia-Yi
authors: CY
authors: Yang
authors: Dong-Jenn
authors: DJ
authors: Yang
authors: Ming-Rea
authors: MR
authors: Kao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003657:Decision Making; D003880:Dermatology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine; D013038:Specialization; D013518:Surgery, Plastic