Abstract
We conducted a questionnaire survey among dermatologists about their acceptance of nail care for patients, who are judged as not requiring medical treatment by a dermatologist, that is conducted by a nurse or manicurist skilled in nail care. More than 80% responded that it is acceptable, or acceptable depending on the specific conditions, for non-physicians to carry out nail care within or outside of the clinic under supervision by dermatologists. However, if conducted solely through on-line consultation without visual supervision, 24.1% of dermatologists said it was unacceptable. Based on the above, it may be said that most dermatologists approve of skilled non-physicians performing nail care for patients who are examined by dermatologists and judged as not needing medical treatment. It is clear that dermatologists cannot take care of all patients with nail problems. Thus, we dermatologists should be proactive in creating a new nail care system in cooperation with non-physicians and educating current providers of nail care in safety and professionalism in order to improve nail care provision.
