Good Faith Exams for Medspas: What You Need to Know

Good Faith Exams for Medspas: What You Need to Know

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By Valerie Huynh

November 1, 2024

Note: This article provides a general overview of Good Faith Exams (GFEs) and does not constitute as legal advice. Regulations may vary by location and change over time.

As a medspa owner, you likely know about the importance of Good Faith Exams (GFEs), a fundamental compliance requirement in aesthetics practices. However, it’s clear that medspas take varied approaches to these exams, especially once the initial GFE is conducted. With different state regulations and practices in place, it’s essential to understand how GFEs fit into your medspa’s operations and how your medspa software can support compliance

Medspa software that’s purpose-built for your business can be a game-changer, streamlining GFE management and helping you meet regulatory requirements with ease. Let’s dive into what GFEs are, who can perform them, and best practices for integrating them seamlessly into your medspa.

What Exactly Is a Good Faith Exam?

A Good Faith Exam (GFE) is a preliminary medical examination that establishes a critical relationship between a physician and a patient before any aesthetic treatment. It’s a safeguard designed to protect patients by ensuring they’re suitable candidates for a specific treatment. Additionally, GFEs provide legal protection to the medspa, reducing compliance risks associated with elective medical treatments.

To complete a GFE, a licensed physician, physician assistant (PA), or advanced practice nurse (APN) must perform an assessment. The GFE generally includes collecting the patient’s medical history—often during intake—and conducting a brief physical examination to determine their candidacy for the intended treatment. The patient’s history should include medical events, previous or ongoing treatments, and lifestyle factors that could impact the procedure’s safety and effectiveness.

Beyond protecting clients, GFEs protect your medspa from potential legal risks, as failing to conduct them can result in significant regulatory repercussions. Incorporating GFE requirements into your medspa software helps ensure compliance by creating reminders, alerts, and processes that make it easy to stay on track.

Who Can Perform a GFE in California?

In California, state regulations specify who can perform a Good Faith Exam. It’s vital to understand these guidelines to avoid compliance issues and ensure safe treatment practices. Here are the basics:

Only licensed physicians, physician assistants (PAs), or nurse practitioners (NPs) are permitted to conduct GFEs.

Any PA or NP must be specifically delegated the ability to perform the GFE by the supervising physician.

While registered nurses (RNs) may support the physician, PA, or NP during the exam, they cannot make any critical medical decisions. Observations made by the RN must be evaluated by the physician, PA, or NP to ensure proper medical oversight.

Notably, aestheticians are not authorized to perform GFEs or administer any medical treatments.

Medspas co-owned by physicians sometimes use telemedicine services to administer GFEs remotely, allowing NPs to conduct virtual appointments. This flexibility is especially beneficial for medspas where scheduling with in-house providers can be challenging.

By understanding who can legally perform GFEs, you can ensure your medspa’s practices align with California’s regulations. With the right medspa software, these compliance checks can be automatically incorporated into your scheduling and treatment flows.

The Rise of Telemedicine for GFEs

Staffing challenges are common in elective medicine, especially since many physicians and mid-level providers have additional full-time commitments. That’s where telemedicine comes in as an efficient alternative for conducting GFEs. Telemedicine allows licensed providers to conduct GFEs from a remote location, reducing the need for physical presence while still meeting compliance requirements.

Incorporating telemedicine options within your medspa software makes it easier to schedule virtual GFEs and track completed assessments. This flexibility helps providers, staff, and clients stay on the same page without sacrificing the personal touch that clients expect from their medspa experience.

Recommendations for Streamlining GFEs with Medspa Software

An efficient, compliant GFE process doesn’t have to be complicated. By choosing medspa software that prioritizes compliance and patient safety, you can seamlessly integrate GFEs into your workflow. Here are a few recommendations for optimizing your GFE operations:

1. Automated GFE Scheduling Before Treatments

Automated scheduling features are essential for ensuring that every new client has a GFE scheduled before their first treatment. Look for medspa software that automatically prompts staff to schedule a GFE whenever a new client books their first appointment. This helps prevent overlooked exams and keeps your medspa compliant without extra administrative effort.

2. Medical Alerts on Client Profiles

When a GFE uncovers allergies or specific medical concerns, your software shouldClient health can change over time, so it’s essential to track updated medical histories. Medspa software with regular prompts for medical history updates after treatments allows your team to stay informed about any significant changes, like new medications or health conditions. This practice not only supports patient safety but also enables your team to personalize treatments based on the latest health information. flag these as medical alerts on the client’s profile. These alerts should be visible across appointment blocks, ensuring staff can access critical health information easily. This feature helps prevent potential issues during future treatments and promotes patient safety, a core component of effective medspa operations.

3. Streamlined Medical History Updates

Client health can change over time, so it’s essential to track updated medical histories. Medspa software with regular prompts for medical history updates after treatments allows your team to stay informed about any significant changes, like new medications or health conditions. This practice not only supports patient safety but also enables your team to personalize treatments based on the latest health information.

4. Reminders for Follow-Up GFEs

It’s often necessary to perform a follow-up GFE when a client’s health status changes or if a considerable amount of time has passed since their last GFE. The best medspa software will have alert features that remind your team when it’s time for a new GFE, ensuring compliance without the need for manual tracking. These reminders create a seamless way to keep up with legal requirements while building a safe, client-centered practice.

The Importance of Medspa Software for GFE Compliance Navigating the regulations around GFEs may seem daunting, but with the right medspa software, it doesn’t have to be. Good Faith Exams are a vital part of ensuring both patient and practice safety, and integrating GFE management into your medspa’s software helps keep everything organized and compliant. From automated scheduling and telemedicine integrations to patient alerts and compliance reminders, medspa software that’s built with GFE needs in mind can transform your daily operations.

At Reviva, we understand the unique challenges medspa owners face. That’s why we designed our medspa software with features tailored specifically for GFE management and compliance. With Reviva, you can focus on providing exceptional care to your clients while we take care of the rest.

Ready to see how Reviva can streamline your GFE process and keep your medspa compliant? Schedule a call with our team today to learn more!