Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:
| ACS | |
| • | Follow treatment recommendations for appropriate pharmacotherapy selection and dosing when devising and implementing a management strategy for a complex case involving a patient with ACS |
| • | Distribute appropriate patient education materials and utilize pocket card reminders and discharge checklists to increase adherence with medication in a patient with a challenging case of ACS |
| Alzheimer’s Disease | |
| • | Recognize signs and symptoms of dementia to make an appropriate diagnosis in a complex case of an elderly patient with concomitant lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and distinguish age-related changes in cognition from early-stage dementia |
| • | Implement early and appropriate treatment in a complex case involving an elderly patient with Alzheimer’s as well as LUTS to slow disease progression while preserving urinary function |
| Chronic Pain | |
| • | Assess the patient’s level of pain and function and use them to gauge the efficacy of treatment outcomes |
| • | Address pain as well as emotional and functional status in the patient’s management |
| • | Differentiate the role of long- and short-acting opioids in the treatment of chronic pain |
| • | Identify nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic strategies to optimize the management of pain functional status |
| • | Predict red flags for misuse, diversion, and addiction |
| Diabetes | |
| • | Develop and implement evidence-based treatment plans that consider the advantages and disadvantages of glucose-lowering options within the context of individual patient needs, including preservation of islet-cell function in the early stages of type 2 diabetes |
| Diabetic Neuropathic Pain | |
| • | Utilize effective communication to ascertain symptoms from a patient with potential diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and use appropriate clinical judgment to make a definitive diagnosis |
| • | Focus on underlying disease states when managing a complex case of diabetic neuropathy, stressing the importance of long-term control of blood glucose levels and reduction of cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure and body mass index |
| • | Use effective physician-patient communication strategies to enhance adherence to the recommended treatment goals, medication regimens, and lifestyle modifications to improve patient outcomes | Elderly Depression |
| • | Recognize that depression is not simply a normal consequence of aging or other issues commonly affecting the elderly, such as chronic illness or physical ailments |
| • | Make an appropriate diagnosis of depression in an older patient |
| • | Screen an elderly patient for depression, and once an accurate diagnosis has been formed, initiate appropriate pharmacotherapeutic interventions to alleviate symptoms |
| Fibromyalgia | |
| • | Utilize American College of Rheumatology guidelines including a comprehensive medical history, extensive physical examination, and manual tender point examination to make an appropriate diagnosis in a complex case of fibromyalgia |
| • | Implement a treatment strategy that combines both nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies in a challenging case of fibromyalgia, reevaluating pharmacologic therapies on a regular basis owing to traditionally poor patient response | GERD |
| • | Formulate an individualized treatment regimen based on a patient’s symptoms of refractory GERD and associated comorbidities |
| • | Utilize effective communication strategies to counsel patients on appropriate dosing and timing of treatment and ensure patient adherence |
| Gout | |
| • | Delineate the chronic, progressive nature of gout in a patient experiencing recurrent acute attacks in the presence of normal serum urate levels, and develop a comprehensive treatment plan for such a patient |
| • | Implement effective communication strategies to enhance patient adherence to a long-term management plan for the treatment of chronic gout and its potential comorbidities |
| Migraine | |
| • | Confirm the diagnosis of migraine headaches in a challenging patient who previously had been diagnosed with both a sinus headache and a tension-type headache, and differentiate among the symptoms associated with each condition |
| Osteoporosis | |
| • | Select appropriate laboratory and imaging tests, including assessment of bone mineral density to assess a patient and make an accurate diagnosis of osteoporosis |
| • | Formulate and implement an appropriate management strategy that includes lifestyle interventions and pharmacotherapy for osteoporosis, including vitamin D, calcium, bisphosphonates, and hormone replacement therapy |
| Overactive Bladder | |
| • | Distinguish common LUTS that overlap in men requiring in-depth workup and design an appropriate treatment strategy, taking into consideration the potential efficacy and safety of antimuscarinics either alone or in combination with α-blockers |
| • | Utilize dose-adjustment strategies to achieve a balance between efficacy and tolerability while still improving patient outcomes |
| Parkinson’s Disease | |
| • | Utilize existing evidence-based guidelines to diagnose early-stage Parkinson’s disease, focusing on core symptoms such as tremor, muscle rigidity, speech and mood changes, and slowed motion |
| • | Manage those symptoms with approaches including pharmacotherapy and physical therapy |
| • | Screen a complex patient with Parkinson’s disease for depression and other potential cognitive deficits utilizing recommended tools |
| • | Prescribe pharmacotherapy to address these symptoms, taking into consideration possible exacerbation of existing motor symptoms |