Simply Speaking® Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Simply Speaking® Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension is organized by Practice Point Communications (PPC).

Accreditation:
Physicians/Physician Assistants:
The University of Nebraska Medical Center designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses/Nurse Practitioners:
The University of Nebraska Medical Center designates this activity for 1.0 ANCC contact hour. Nurses should only claim credit for the actual time spent participating in the activity. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 13699 for 1.2 contact hours.

Pharmacists (PharmDs/RPhs):
This knowledge-based activity is accredited for 1 hour of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credit. Duquesne University School of Pharmacy will report all credit to CPE Monitor within 60 working days after receiving evidence of successful completion of the course. Successful completion means that you must attend the entire program and complete an evaluation form.
Duquesne University School of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Participation in the entire knowledge-based activity is required to obtain a certificate. This activity is being presented without bias and with commercial support.

Overview:
What is Simply Speaking® Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension?
• An educational series accredited by University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Duquesne University School of Pharmacy (DU)
• Live, accredited continuing education activities compliant with evolving ACCME Guidelines
• Regional educational opportunities for MD, DO, PA, NP, RN and PharmD healthcare professionals
• A continuous?,? annually funded initiative with a dedicated Therapeutic Advisor and UNMC Planning Committee ?that meets quarterly to discuss process, logistics and content enhancements and ongoing Joint Accreditation compliance?
• A proven process of identifying, certifying and evaluating national and regional healthcare experts

Why participate in Simply Speaking® Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension?
• Content development and training provided by well-known and credible educators participating within Simply Speaking® 
• This series is available free of charge to a variety of institutions (clinics, hospitals, specialty organizations) wanting to improve health care provider education

Topics:
Case Studies in PAH: Advanced Treatments:
Recent progress in PAH is based on new strategies for combination therapy and on the escalation of treatments to improve the significant morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. This lecture is designed as a case-based discussion on the importance of monitoring patients to determine when and how to optimally alter their PAH therapy. Case 1 will discuss diagnosis, initial management, disease progression, and treatment escalation. Case 2 will discuss how to manage the complications and precautions in a patient through pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the immediate postpartum period.

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH):
CTEPH is defined as PH in the presence of an organized thrombus within the pulmonary vascular bed that persists at least 3 months after the onset of anticoagulant therapy. The most commonly reported symptoms of CTEPH include exercise intolerance, fatigue, and dyspnea. Symptoms experienced by CTEPH patients are non-specific and often similar to those of other more common diseases, so CTEPH is underdiagnosed and often misdiagnosed as another disease. CTEPH is potentially curable only with pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) surgery, which is the treatment choice for patients who are surgical candidates. For patients who are not surgical candidates or who have persistent/recurrent CTEPH after PEA surgery, there is an approved medical therapy or percutaneous balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA). This lecture will cover diagnosis and emerging treatment strategies including sequencing and combination therapy.

Connective Tissue Disorders–Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension:
Patients seen in a typical rheumatology practice are at higher risk of PAH secondary to their conditions. Rheumatologists should maintain a high index of suspicion for PAH in their patients with systemic sclerosis and other mixed connective tissue disorders. This lecture will present recommendations for routine screening of patients in a rheumatology practice for PAH as well as the basics of diagnosis and management of PAH.

Intensive Care Management of PAH-related Right Heart Failure:
Acute right ventricular failure can be a devastating complication of severe PAH. Because of the difference between the left and right sides of the heart, tools and techniques dealing with left-heart failure often do not apply in the setting of the right heart or may even be counter-productive. Intensive case management of RV failure in this setting is extremely complex. This lecture provides top-line expert consensus on the management of acute RV failure.

Practical Considerations in PAH Management:
Outpatient management of PAH requires unique and practical considerations, especially for those who require implantable pumps. Further management decisions regarding chronic anti-coagulation therapy, exercise recommendations, travel considerations, medication adherence, respite, and psychosocial issues must also be addressed. This slide kit is designed for the multi-disciplinary medical team to address the practical challenges of managing PAH.

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: The Diagnosis You Don’t Want to Miss:
Research shows that patients with PAH benefit greatly from early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. However, man y patients face definitive diagnostic delays of two or more years. This lecture is designed for primary care providers and other non-specialists, and incorporates cased-based, interactive topics on diagnosis, differential diagnosis, right heart catheterization, risk assessment, treatment and patient perspectives.

Treatment Strategies in PAH: Recent and Emerging Research:
Improvements in the care of PAH patients depends on improving clinician awareness of the latest research into new diagnostic techniques, medications, and monitoring. This slide kit brings cutting-edge research to busy clinicians enabling them to readily keep abreast of the published research.