OVERVIEW

Diagnosis and Management of Pulmonary Hypertension: The State of the Science is organized by Rockpointe Corporation.

Release date: June 20, 2019
Expiration date: June 20, 2020

Accreditation:
Physician Designation Statement
The Potomac Center for Medical Education designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Abim Moc Designation Statement
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.0 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Overview:
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) comprises a group of disorders that reflect an increase in pulmonary arterial pressure. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified 5 etiologies/types of PH, based on the underlying pathological mechanisms. Initial symptoms of PH are shortness of breath (which often comes on precipitously) and exertional dyspnea. Left untreated, PH ultimately leads to right-heart failure.
A number of therapeutic specialists (cardiology, pulmonology, and primary care, especially internal medicine) are involved in the diagnosis and care of PH. Because symptoms are nonspecific, most patients with PH are not correctly diagnosed for 2 to 5 years after symptom onset, and life expectancy is only approximately 3-5 years after diagnosis. Diagnosis and Management of Pulmonary Hypertension: The State of the Science is designed to help improve the diagnosis of PH by exploring its complex nature and poor prognosis. The education will help clinicians recognize suspected PH and refer those patients to a PH specialty center, where interdisciplinary teams are available and newer treatments can be offered to prolong life and improve QoL.

Educational Objectives:
This program is designed to address the following NAM competencies: provide patient-centered care and employ evidence-based practice.
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to demonstrate the ability to:
• Conduct prompt diagnostic evaluation of patients suspected of having PH, and arrange for prompt diagnosis
• Describe the clinical properties of specific advanced drug therapies, and explain the rationale for early treatment initiation by specialty centers to achieve the best clinical outcomes