OVERVIEW

Pulmonary Hypertension Masterclass 2026: PH Forward: Diagnosis, PAH Innovations & CTEPH Interventions is organized by Columbia University Department of Medicine and will be held on Nov 13, 2026 at Faculty Club, New York, United States of America.

Description:
Columbia University Medical Center invites you to join the leading clinician-educators from Columbia University, addressing current and future breakthroughs in a one-day Pulmonary Hypertension Masterclass.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a complex, progressive disorder associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. It contributes to tens of thousands of deaths annually in the United States and thousands more worldwide. In the U.S., mortality rates have risen over recent decades, particularly among patients with PH related to underlying cardiac and pulmonary disease. Despite growing awareness, delays in diagnosis remain significant, averaging nearly two years.

Although evidence-based guidelines and an expanding array of therapeutic options are available, considerable variability persists in clinician knowledge, competence, and performance related to PH diagnosis, risk stratification, and longitudinal management. Registry data and real-world clinical experience continue to demonstrate delayed diagnoses, inconsistent use of right heart catheterization, underutilization of validated risk assessment tools, and suboptimal application of guideline-directed combination and escalation therapies.

Additional educational gaps include timely referral to specialized PH centers, effective coordination of multidisciplinary care, and management of PH in complex and high-risk populations, such as those with connective tissue disease–associated PH, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), congenital heart disease, and pregnancy-associated PH. Rapid advances in pharmacologic, interventional, and surgical therapies further underscore the need for ongoing education to ensure clinicians can appropriately translate emerging evidence into clinical practice.

This comprehensive six-hour CME program addresses these gaps by emphasizing therapeutic innovation, risk stratification, biomarker-driven assessment, treatment sequencing, and contemporary CTEPH management pathways. The course features concise, evidence-based 12-minute lectures followed by focused 3-minute interactive Q&A sessions on advanced therapeutics, complemented by extended case-based discussions and concluding with a multidisciplinary expert panel.

Learning Objectives:
Following participation in this educational activity, learners will be able to:

Describe the current classification and pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension, with emphasis on accurate differentiation among PH groups.
Apply evidence-based diagnostic strategies, including appropriate use of echocardiography, right heart catheterization, and advanced imaging modalities.
Incorporate validated risk stratification tools to guide prognostication, treatment selection, and follow-up.
Implement guideline-directed medical and interventional therapies, including appropriate use of combination therapy and treatment escalation strategies.
Recognize indications for referral to specialized PH centers and advanced therapies, including surgical and interventional options for CTEPH.
Address management challenges in special populations, integrating multidisciplinary approaches to optimize outcomes.
Evaluate emerging data, novel therapies, and ongoing clinical trials and their potential role in future PH care.