This activity is supported by educational grants from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., U.S. Region and Orexigen

Managed Care and the Comprehensive Treatment of Obesity: Exploring the Medical Necessity – Web Activity

Release Date: October 31, 2014
Expiration Date: April 30, 2016
Estimated Time to Complete Activity: 1.25 hour
Compatible with (IE 6 and up, Firefox, Safari)

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY


	John Fox, MD, MHA Senior Medical Director Associate Vice President, Medical Affairs Priority Health Click here for biography


	Robert F. Kushner, MD, MS Clinical Director Northwestern Comprehensive Center on Obesity Professor of Medicine Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Click here for biography


	Bruce W. Sherman, MD, FCCP, FACOEM Medical Director Employer Health Coalition 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 obesity including: physicians, pharmacists, registered nurses, and case managers

STATEMENT OF NEED/PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Obesity is often considered the most common and prevalent health condition in the United States, representing a nationwide epidemic characterized by significant morbidity and mortality. Coupled with a rapidly increasing prevalence—as obesity rates have more than doubled since 1970—this disease burden is associated with an expectedly profound clinical and economic impact in managed care. Similar to the comorbid conditions to which it is closely related, obesity represents a chronic disease requiring a full-scale management approach, often featuring multiple medical interventions. While manage care plans invariably treat the major obesity-related comorbidities—namely cardiovascular and metabolic syndromes—as chronic diseases, obesity often receives a one-dimensional strategy. The purpose of this initiative is to provide managed care professionals insight from a group of expert thought leaders and clinicians regarding the treatment of obesity.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

Recommend a plan-wide treatment algorithm for obesity that includes appropriate treatment options, including pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery
Identify and characterize the three phases of successful clinical weight-loss programming, including key interventions and considerations for each phase
Formulate a comprehensive, multidisciplinary strategy for the management of obesity
Provide accurate and appropriate counsel as part of the managed care treatment team
Provide appropriate care and counsel for patients and their families

ACCREDITATION

Physician Continuing Education
Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and Impact Education, LLC. The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Pharmacist Continuing Education
Accreditation Statement


	Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

Credit Designation
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this continuing education activity for 1.25 contact hours (0.125 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Universal Activity Number – 0809-9999-14-153-H01-P

Type of Activity: Application

Nursing Continuing Education
Credit Designation
This educational activity for 1.2 contact hours is provided by Postgraduate Institute for Medicine

Accreditation Statement
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

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 faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this continuing education activity:

*Name of Faculty or Presenter*	*Reported Financial Relationship*
John Fox, MD, MHA	No financial interest/relationships relating to the topic of this activity
Robert F. Kushner, MD, MS	Consulting Fees: Vivus, Inc., Novo Nordisk, Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited Contracted Research: Weight Watchers, Aspire Bariatrics Receipt of Intellectual Property Rights/Patent Holder: Retrofit
Bruce W. Sherman, MD, FCCP, FACOEM	Consulting Fees: Merck & Co., Inc., Humana Fees for Non-CME/CE Services: AbbVie, Inc., Eisai Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc. Research Grant: Pfizer, Inc.

The planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this continuing education activity:

*Name of Planner or Manager*	*Reported Financial Relationship*
Steven Casebeer, MBA	No financial interest/relationships relating to the topic of this activity
The following PIM planners and managers, Laura Excell, ND, NP, MS, MA, LPC, NCC, Trace Hutchison, PharmD, Samantha Mattiucci, PharmD, CCMEP, and Jan Schultz, RN, MSN, CCMEP hereby state that they or their spouse/life partner do not have any financial relationships or relationships to products or devices with any commercial interest related to the content of this activity of any amount during the past 12 months.

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 October 31, 2016 through April 30, 2016, 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, your certificate will be made available immediately to download and print.

For Pharmacists: Upon successfully completing the post-test with a score of 75% or better and the activity evaluation form, transcript information will be sent to the NABP CPE Monitor Service within 4 weeks.

MEDIA
Internet

FEE INFORMATION
There is no fee for this educational activity.