Heart Failure Management Strategies: New Insights for Managed Care Web Activity

• Release Date: April 27, 2018
• Expiration Date: November 30, 2019
• Estimated Time to Complete Activity: 1.5 hours
• Compatible with all modern browsers and mobile devices

EXPERT FACULTY

Akshay Desai, MD, MPH Director, Heart Failure Disease Management Program Advanced Heart Disease Section, Cardiovascular Division Brigham and Women's Hospital Associate Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School Click here for biography Jeffrey Dunn, PharmD, MBA Vice President Clinical Strategy and Programs and Industry Relations MagellanRx Management Click here for biography Edmund Pezalla, MD, MPH CEO Enlightenment Bioconsult, LLC Click here for biography

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Medical Directors and Pharmacy Directors from health plans, HMOs, integrated health systems, employers, quality organizations, and other managed care organizations (MCOs)
• Managed care-affiliated care team members involved with patient evaluation, education, and follow-up for patients with heart failure including: physicians, pharmacists, and registered nurses.

STATEMENT OF NEED/PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming >614,000 American lives in 2014. Heart failure (HF) is a significant contributor to this mortality, being mentioned in nearly half of all CVD-related deaths and being cited as the primary underlying cause in 68,626 of those deaths. These latter statistics provide a glimpse into the far-reaching effects of HF in terms of morbidity, mortality, and resultant health care and societal costs. Leaders from managed care organizations (MCOs) and other payers have identified the management of heart failure (HF) as a priority area for optimizing clinically – and economically – appropriate care for their members. In light of new drug developments, MCOs and other payer organizations need to appropriately and effectively design benefits that optimize both cost-efficiency and patient outcomes. This activity will improve participants’ knowledge and competency to recommend pathways for optimal treatment outcomes, conduct comparative effectiveness research, and design medical and pharmacy benefits.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to demonstrate improved ability to: 

• Describe the recently published guideline updates for emerging therapies in HF, including results from pivotal trials and evidence supporting averted HF-related hospitalizations and/or deaths
• Apply appropriate positioning and utilization management criteria to facilitate judicious and effective utilization of emerging therapies for HF
• Characterize the disease burden of HF in the managed care setting as determined by hospitalizations and other components of morbidity and mortality
• Integrate pharmacoeconomic analyses of treatments options for HF into plan decision making
• Discuss current economic and logistic barriers to appropriate HF therapy in the managed care setting
• Illustrate opportunities to facilitate member access to care for HF in the current framework of health plan operations and infrastructure
• Characterize the importance of addressing noncardiac comorbidities and overseeing care transitions as they pertain to maintaining therapeutic persistence and improving outcomes
• Employ collaborative strategies for HF management enlisting the input and support of a multidisciplinary team of health care providers

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and Impact Education, LLC.  Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physician Continuing Medical Education
The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Continuing Pharmacy Education
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this continuing education activity for 1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. (Universal Activity Number - JA4008162-9999-18-076-H01-P)

Type of Activity: Application

Pharmacists have up to 30 days to complete the evaluation and claim credit for participation so that information can be submitted to CPE Monitor as required.

Continuing Nursing Education
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.4 contact hours.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) requires instructors, planners, managers and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest (COI) they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified COI are thoroughly vetted and resolved according to PIM policy. PIM is committed to providing its learners with high quality CME activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest.

The PIM planners and managers have nothing to disclose. The Impact Education, LLC planners and managers have nothing to disclose.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use
This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The planners of this activity do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the planners.  Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer
Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications and/or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

Method of Participation and Request for Credit
There are no fees for participating and receiving CME/CE credit for this activity. During the period of April 27, 2018, through November 30, 2019, participants must 1) read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures; 2) study the educational activity; 3) successfully complete the post-test with a score of 75% or better; 4) and complete the evaluation form. Upon completion of the full CME/CE activity, a certificate will be made available immediately to download and print.

MEDIA
Internet

FEE INFORMATION
There is no fee for this educational activity.