AAMCN Online Education

Please visit the Corporate Member Directory for more continuing educational opportunities
Opportunities for Managed Care Nurses to Reduce Health & Economic Burdens Related to Gout
Each year, approximately 3 million U.S. adults are affected by gout. Repeated attacks of gout are common; an initial gouty attack recurs in up to 60% of individuals within 1 year, 78% within 2 years, and as many as 93% within 10 years. The rising incidence and prevalence of gout and hyperuricemia has been attributed to the increasing at-risk population, including patients with hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, and metabolic syndrome. In addition, suboptimal management of gout is recognized as a likely contributor to the recent rise in symptomatic, chronic gout.

Acute gouty arthritis, with its associated painful joint inflammation, can become a chronic, persistent condition and, if not managed properly, can lead to permanent joint destruction. Nurses in the managed care setting can play a vital role in improving this increasingly common disorder, thereby slowing the progression and reducing the associated health and economic burdens. This educational activity will address how to identify patients at risk for gout and compare the risks and benefits of traditional and emerging therapies to decrease serum uric acid concentrations. The presenters will help participants understand barriers to appropriate management of gout, identify critical topics for patient education, and develop adherence-promoting strategies
CEU Valid to June 7, 2011		 Recent Advances in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: Identifying Opportunities for Managed Care
Several new classes of agents have the potential to reshape diabetes treatment. For instance, new and emerging therapies have shown promising results in lowering A1C levels without increasing the risk of side effects such as weight gain or hypoglycemia. This program will highlight this new generation of therapies and explore their potential and optimal use in managed care populations. The program will also identify a variety of strategies (including pay for performance, disease management, and quality improvement programs) that managed care professionals can employ to help clinicians overcome the "clinical inertia" associated with type 2 diabetes and alleviate health disparities among vulnerable and/or high-risk patient groups.
CME Valid to May 3, 2011
 Managed Care Strategies Used in the Successful Treatment of Asthma
The updated National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) guidelines are designed to improve asthma care by providing clinicians with the most current scientific knowledge. As managed care professionals increasingly become aware of how to leverage the Third Expert Panel Report (EPR3) recommendations, asthma patients will benefit with better treatment outcomes. Managed care executives need further education to understand the rationale for the EPR3 recommendations, including the rationale for the new direction that separates asthma control from asthma severity. They need education on the current development in tools to measure asthma control in order to better understand the variable nature of asthma and develop appropriate therapeutic regimens. Continuing education on these important asthma topics will help ensure better care and improve outcomes in asthma patients.

CME Valid to January 31, 2011		 Improving Patient Outcomes in Adult Asthma
 22 million Americans have a current diagnosis of asthma. Every year patients with asthma have an estimated 12 million asthma attacks, 2 million emergency room visits, and approximately 4000 asthma-related deaths, according to the CDC. Asthma has a significant impact on both the healthcare system and healthcare consumers. The annual direct and indirect costs have exceeded approximately $18 billion according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. It is for this reason that the healthcare system must take action to reduce expenditures for asthma, while increasing quality of care in the patient population. Effective and timely treatment of asthma can both improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost when following these guidelines set forth by NAEPP.
CME Valid to December 31, 2010
Alzheimer’s Dementia: Early Diagnosis and Treatment
Alzheimer’s disease affects a significant portion of the population and is a growing concern as our population continues to age. It is important that appropriate diagnosis occurs early so treatment can begin and so the patient can be maintained in the home setting as long as possible. Although some agents are available for managing the symptoms of this disease, they are insufficient. The future is in agents that attack the fundamental pathophysiologic process of this devastating disease.
CME Valid to December 31, 2010		 Targeted Therapies in Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
Despite progress in early detection and treatment, NSCLC is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and prognosis is poor. Historically, treatment has included a variety of modalities such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. More recently, therapeutic options for NSCLC have evolved to include targeted agents such as vinorelbine, paclitaxel, gemcitabine, docetaxel, pemetrexed, bevacizumab, and erlotinib. The expanding role of the targeted therapies and the concept of tailoring therapies based on clinical and molecular markers are transforming the treatment of NSCLC. It is imperative that oncologists, medical directors and nurses are informed about these new treatments and how they can be combined and used with current treatment regimens. During this session on non-small cell lung cancer, medical directors and nurse case managers will learn about these targeted therapies and the best way to include them into their treatment regimens.
CME Valid to December 31, 2010
Bipolar Disorder: Developing a Cost Effective Disease Management Program
 Bipolar disorder is usually life-long. Patients can also suffer from substance abuse, behavioral problems, and relationship problems. Possible causes are thought to be genetic and brain structure. Bipolar disorder is treated through a variety of therapies: mood-stabilizing medications, atypical antipsychotic medications, antidepressant medications, as well as psychotherapy. Bipolar disorder has no cure but can be effectively treated. Treatment is best long-term and continuous to be the most effective. Unfortunately, patients sometimes stop their medication believing that they are better. Improving patient adherence is important.
CME Valid to June 1, 2011		 Multiple Myeloma: What Managed Care Needs To Know
 Multiple Myeloma (MM) accounts for 10% of hematologic malignancies. In 2007, it is estimated that MM was responsible for 11,000 new deaths. This cancer is more prevalent in African Americans than Caucasians with a median age of 66 at diagnosis. As with all cancers, early detection and treatment are necessary for optimal patient outcomes. Managed care medical directors and physician executives need to be and stay informed on the diagnosis and treatments to appropriate manage their population.
CME Valid to December 31, 2010
Understanding, Diagnosing, and Managing Fibromyalgia
 Effective management of FM is imperative to improve quality of life for patients suffering from the disease. Due to the ambiguity of symptoms, emerging evidence on the pathophysiology of pain, and the changing scope of pharmacological treatments, clinicians are being challenged to diagnose and provide long-term treatment for an illness of which our understanding is evolving. There continues to be inadequate training for physicians and nurses, which is why it is imperative to inform the Medical Directors, Case Managers, and other healthcare personnel about the newest advances in treatment, updated guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology, and how it will affect Managed Care.
CME Valid to December 31, 2010		 What’s New In Hypertension Since The JNC 7 Guidelines
Hypertension continues to be a leading health problem, not only in sheer numbers of affected individuals but because more than 70% of people who receive care do not achieve adequate blood pressure control. How can clinicians do better in helping their patients achieve better control of hypertension? This session will look at what the guidelines have to say and opportunities for improved outcomes.
CME Valid to March 1, 2011
Practical Application of Insulin Pump Therapy In Type2
DiabetesInsulin pump therapy, or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, has become an increasingly popular mode of therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Do the benefits of this type of treatment pertain to type 2 diabetes? This presentation looks at the role of insulin pump therapy in managing type 2 diabetes.
CME Valid to March 1, 2011		 History, Injury and Blood Flow: The Keys to Detection of Venous Thromboembolism
 Deep Vein Thrombosis alone occurs in about 2 million Americans each year, accounting for up to 600,000 DVT hospitalizations. Pulmonary Embolism (PE) accounts for nearly 300,000 deaths per year, with the majority of those occurring from the onset of DVT. Together, Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) occurs in about 600,000 cases per year, with a large portion of those cases being diagnosed upon conclusion of an autopsy. The key to preventing DVT, PE and ultimately VTE is early recognition and diagnosis, along with preventative methods for patients at higher risk to adhere to
CME Valid to December 31, 2010
Osteoporosis: Decreasing Costs by Improving Prevention, Early Diagnosis & Patient Outcomes
 Osteoporosis is preventable, but it is not curable, only treatable. It is important that doctors stay aware of the risk factors, and perform bone mineral density (BMD) tests for diagnosis for high-risk patients. Medicare reimburses BMD testing every two years. Fractures from osteoporosis reduce a patient’s quality of life and an average of 24% of hip fracture patients aged 50 and up die in the year following their fracture. The importance of prevention and early diagnosis is apparent and of utmost importance to managed care medical directors, case managers and administrators.
CME Valid to December 31, 2010		 Effective Diagnosis and Treatmentof Early Parkinson’s Disease
The session will provide important insights into effective management, including diagnosis and treatment of early PD. This educational activity will help attendees identify patients in need of early treatment and to distinguish disease progression from suboptimal treatment outcomes with the goal of improving patient care. It is imperative that Managed Care Medical Directors, Neurologists, Nurses and Healthcare Executives, who will be present at the Fall Managed Care Forum, learn about these advances in treatment and how to integrate them into their respective plan or provider organizations.
CME Valid to December 31, 2010
 
Inattention, Hyperactivity and Impulsivity:
The Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Behavioral Deficits Attributed to ADHD
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder, comprised of deficits in behavioral inhibition, staying focused, resisting distractions and ability to regulate one’s activity level to the appropriate situation. While inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity are typical behaviors exuded during childhood, for those with ADHD, these behaviors are much more severe and occur more often.

With the increasing number of ADHD diagnoses and additional problems that can be associated with it, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder has a huge impact, economically. In 2005, the ‘cost of illness’ (not total impact) for ADHD was estimated to be anywhere from $36 billion to $52 billion, or between $12,005 and $17,458 annually per individual. Comparatively, previous statistics show that in 2000, total excess cost of ADHD in the US was $31.6 billion, an increase of at least $4 billion in just a five-year period. Work loss, though not built into this figure, also creates a significant financial burden on society and in a study of 10 different countries worldwide, the employer ‘cost’ associated with ADHD is 143.8 million days lost of work productivity annually.
CME Valid to December 31, 2010		 Evolution of Personalized Medicine: The Role of Pharmacogenomics in Managed Care
The goal of this activity is to provide medical directors from plans, purchasers and provider systems and nurse case managers with appropriate education on personalized medicine and its impact on managed care environments.
 CME valid to November 10, 2010.

The Relationship between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Heart Failure

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 1% of the adult general population. Cardiovascular disease is recognized as the leading cause of death in RA patients, accounting for nearly 50 percent of their mortality. Patients with RA are at an increased risk for myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure. Some medications for RA may also worsen or precipitate heart failure. Optimal management of the RA patient requires attention to not only management of RA but also prevention of cardiovascular disease.

CME valid to November 1, 2010

 Management of an HIV Patient Population
 Advances in treatment have changed AIDS into a chronically managed disease. Patients need to be identified early after initial HIV infection to prevent further spread of the infection and improve their life expectancy. Changes have been made to the health care setting recommendations for HIV screening to promote early and wide identification of HIV infections.
CME valid to December 31, 2010
The Relationship and Impact of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
 The prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity are both increasing.  Because these are both major risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease, the prevalence and mortality of cardiovascular disease is likely to increase.  In order to prevent this, strategies for preventing diabetes, treating diabetes to accepted goals, and targeting associated CVD risk factors should be implemented.
CME valid to December 31, 2010		 Comparative Effectiveness:  The Impact on Managed Care and Patient Outcomes
 Although discussed and debated for several years, comparative effectiveness research is coming to the forefront as health care reform again becomes a federal government focus. There is significant debate ongoing about how to best fund, implement, and apply comparative effectiveness research. The recent economic stimulus bill has postponed some of the debate by providing a significant amount of money for this type of research.
CME valid to August 31, 2010
Current Concepts in Managing Dyslipidemia
The guidelines for managing dyslipidemia are continuing to evolve. Currently, very aggressive lowering of low density lipoprotein cholesterol is recommended for many patients. To achieve these aggressive goals, maximized statins or combination lipid lowering therapy is necessary.
 CME valid to August 31, 2010		 Clinical and Financial Implications of Wound Care Management Across the Care Continuum
Healing wounds is an expensive endeavor for managed care. Because the population is aging and diabetes prevalence is on the rise, this problem is going to continue to grow. When all the costs related to wound care are examined from a real world perspective, advanced therapies such as negative pressure wound therapy are cost effective. To maximize cost effectiveness, advanced therapies should be applied in a timely manner to those patients most likely to benefit.
CME valid to August 31, 2010
Parkinson’s Disease: A How To Series
This is a 4 part series on the Diagnosis, Treatment, Management and Future of Parkinson's Disease. With PD affecting at least 500,000 and costing over $6 billion annually, it is important to be appropriate educated on Parkinson's Disease and how to better manage this patient population.
CME valid to July 31, 2010		 Prevention, Diagnosis & Treatment of COPD
COPD is a preventable and treatable disease that results in significant morbidity, mortality, and costs. Treatment uses a stepped care approach utilizing inhaled medications and non pharmacologic therapy. Smoking cessation, both on an individual and societal basis, is the most important factor in fighting COPD.
CME valid to July 31, 2010