Survey of regional laser centers: A Minnesota perspective

BACKGROUND Laser use in medicine is rapidly expanding as patients seek treatment for medical and cosmetic purposes. Concern is mounting about the unsupervised use of lasers and similar devices by nonphysician personnel. Minnesota is currently one of the few states with no legislation regarding the uses of lasers. OBJECTIVE To determine whether laser centers in Minnesota meet professional standards and guidelines for patient safety. METHODS AND MATERIALS Public resources were used to identify all businesses with laser services in Minnesota cities with a population of at least 1,000 people. Each laser center was contacted, and a "secret shopper," a person who posed as a potential patient administered a telephone survey. RESULTS A wide range of physicians and nonphysician personnel offer laser services in Minnesota. Supervision was not standardized and varied widely across the laser centers. CONCLUSIONS As the demand for laser services increases, the use of lasers must be clearly defined and regulated to prevent patient injury.