Focusing on Control in COPD Management

Faculty

Barry J. Make, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Co-Director, COPD Program
Director, Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Respiratory Care
Department of Medicine
National Jewish Health
Denver, Colorado

Meredith C. McCormack, MD, MHS
Associate Professor of Medicine
Medical Director, Pulmonary Function Laboratory
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Barbara P. Yawn, MD, MSc, FAAFP
Researcher
Adjunct Professor
Department of Family and Community Health
University of Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota

Target Audience

This activity is intended for primary care physicians (PCPs) and clinicians specializing in respiratory disorders.

Educational Objectives

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

• Longitudinally manage patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by monitoring symptom progression, assessing therapeutic response, and adjusting treatment as needed
• Individualize maintenance regimens for patients with COPD to minimize exacerbation risks
• Educate patients on the need for appropriate physical activity, techniques to avoid exacerbations, and treatment adherence

Program Overview

Ongoing vigilant management of patients with COPD is essential to improving outcomes. The importance of implementing focused therapy on preventing exacerbations cannot be overemphasized. Evidence-based education that addresses individualized maintenance regimens is needed to optimize COPD care over the long term. Patients who experience COPD exacerbations and hospitalizations are at increased risk of falling into a perpetual cycle of symptom progression, declining lung function, increasing disability, and accumulating fatigue. Clinicians should routinely employ symptom evaluations and well-defined follow-up plans for patients with COPD. Most will require treatment with medications—often combination regimens—which will likely intensify throughout the course of the disease. Patient preferences, results from routine symptom reassessments, exacerbation risks, and therapeutic adherence should all shape treatment decisions that are shared between the patient and the clinician. This enduring activity focuses on patient-clinician communication as a fundamental aspect of COPD care that better addresses patient preferences, exacerbation prevention, treatment goals, and longitudinal management, while overcoming barriers to treatment adherence.

Physician 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 Global Education Group (Global) and Integritas Communications.  Global is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

*This CME/CE activity complies with all requirements of the federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act. If a reportable event is associated with this activity, the accredited provider managing the program will provide the appropriate physician data to the Open Payments database.

Physician Credit Designation

Global designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Global Contact Information

For information about the accreditation of this program, please contact Global at 303-395-1782 or cme@globaleducationgroup.com.

Instructions to Receive Credit

In order to receive credit for this activity, the participant must complete the posttest and program evaluation. Your post-test will automatically be graded. If you successfully complete the posttest (score of 80% or higher), your statement of participation will be made available immediately. Click on the View Statement of Participation link and print the statement for your records. If you receive a score lower than 80%, you will receive a message notifying you that you did not pass the posttest. You will have 2 opportunities to pass the posttest.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Global requires instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals and their spouses/life partners who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified conflicts of interest are thoroughly vetted by Global for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies mentioned in the materials or used as the basis for content, and appropriateness of patient care recommendations.

The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouses/life partners have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Barry J. Make, MD          
Consultant/Independent Contractor: AstraZeneca plc, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Circassia AB, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Philips Respironics, Shire Plc, Spiration Inc., Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Theravance Biopharma US, Inc., Third Pole, Inc., Verona Pharma plc; Grant/Research Support: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Meredith C. McCormack, MD, MHS          
Consultant/Independent Contractor: Celgene Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Talem Health, LLC; Other/Royalty: UpToDate, Inc. (royalties for authorship about pulmonary function testing that is not related to CME program content)

Barbara P. Yawn, MD, MSc, FAAFP          
Consultant/Independent Contractor: AstraZeneca plc, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Midmark Corporation, Novartis International AG; Grant/Research Support: Funding to my institution: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Mylan N.V.

The following planners and managers reported no financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouses/life partners have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Lindsay Borvansky; Andrea Funk; Liddy Knight; Ashley Cann; Celeste Collazo, MD; Rose O’Conor, PhD, CHCP; Jim Kappler, PhD

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Global and Integritas Communications 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 any organization associated with this activity. 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 in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of patient conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

Fee Information & Refund/Cancellation Policy

There is no fee for this educational activity.